Cry of The Carniave
by sabrina-diamond
Summary: In the 18th century, a girl called Laura falls in love with a boy called Jay. But Jay has a dark secret! Every sunset he transforms into a fearsome beast called the Carniave. As their love grows stronger, they must do seven daring quest for a magician...
1. A blizzard bluster

**Cry Of The Carniave**

_When the rays of the sun's last light,_

_And the man-in-the-moon shineth at night,_

_Beware of the Carniave with wings so white,_

_As it glideth in earthbound flight,_

_It howls throughout the frosty winter night,_

_And always, it beginneth your plight…_

18th Century England, Glade Forest…

Laura stared out of the attic window as she watched the silent snowflakes drift down slowly upon the gloomy forest. The forest was normally full of animals and green trees, but today it was bare and not a deer to be seen. It was so peaceful in the dusty, worn attic watching the snow that she wanted to watch it for timeless eternity. The sun was about to give into night, sinking slowly into the horizon of the mountains. It looked so serene and peaceful.

Even though the attic was supposed to be the oldest part of the mansion, Laura often sneaked into it when she needed a break from her annoying brother Dave. The attic was also the cosiest room in the manor, not surprising since heat rose up from the fireplaces downstairs. Hearing the regular clip-clop of the milkman's horse, Jerry, as it trotted past Manescu Mansion, she saw a distant figure of a fierce hunter and his foxhounds on the edge of the dark, wintry forest… Dave was probably playing chess downstairs with Dad. Dad always lost to Dave, seeing that Dave was the better player of the two. A cream coloured carriage passed the house.

Although she would have loved to join her friends Ella, Georgia, Julie and Steph in the forest today, her mother wouldn't hear about it. She always lectured Laura on the dangers of going into Glade forest, becoming prey to one of those wild wolves and being frostbitten by the cold icy blizzards. _What a wonderful day it is,_ thought Laura, _I wish my friends and I could have played ice hockey though. I wonder if they're playing it now? Probably not, cause it's cold outside. Poor Steph couldn't even balance, toppling over the ice when she tries to hit the puck!_

Just as the last ray of the sunset dimmed in the darkened bare forest, a spine-chilling wail echoed in the heart of it, the very sound of it sent a thrill across Laura's back. For it was the chilling cry of the Carniave.

The legend of Glade Forest was repeated across countless generations of the Manescu family. The legend was that a wolf-bird beast inhabited Glade forest, terrorizing Glade Village for as long as anyone could remember.

The creature called itself the Carniave. It had the sleek, shaggy body of a human-sized wolf, dangerous magical powers and the pearly wings of a dove. This bloodthirsty creature roamed the forest at night and killed animals as large as stags. Nobody had ever seen it more than once, and it only inhabited this particular forest.

To see this monster was to encounter terrible luck for 13 years or more. The Carniave howled in the moonless nights, hungering for fresh blood, for it longed for the taste of spilled blood. The Carniave always mysteriously disappeared at the break of dawn, waiting for the night to swoop down and engulf the sun.

Laura remembered the legend with a shiver. She had never believed

the legends- until now. And even now she was beginning to doubt herself. _Don't be silly, they're only stories told to children like Dave. And even if I heard the howl, it might have been an ordinary wolf, not a Carniave creature._ She felt relieved in correcting herself. A second later, her mother popped upstairs, holding a shopping basket in her pale hands. Laura sighed; her often-stern mother always wanted her to shop for bread or milk._ Why can't she just get her servants to do it?! She has heaps of them!_

__

"Laura dear, I was just wondering, can you just pop over to the shops to buy some peppermint please? And also some flour, butter and sugar for the fair tomorrow…" Laura stared. _In this weather?! It's freezing outside and -4!_

"But Mum! There's going to be blizzard outside! Aren't you coming with me?"

"I'm so sorry, Laurie, to send you out in this weather, but it's such short notice and I'm so busy organizing with the fair… I don't think I can come with you today."

Laura was outside in the cold, dark forest, struggling alone against the elements of the weather. The icy, cold winds tore at her with their stinging frostbitten claws, stripping her of her cosy fur-lined hat (the one she begged her mum to buy) and her orange coat. Clutching her wooden basket to her sides, she managed with great difficulty to falter a few steps onwards. Her brown bangs flew wildly in the wind like airborne kites. At last she couldn't walk any longer, her aching legs screaming for a little rest.

_I'm alone in the forest with no one to help me, not even Mum. _Laura

realized with a jolt of sudden fear. And loneliness surrounded the forest. She collapsed to her weary knees, praying for someone to help her, anyone. Soon she blacked out completely, but before she did, she thought she saw the Carniave with its dazzling white wings lift her up and take her home, its grey as soot fur warm and comforting…

_I was running like the wind, the joy of the chase still on my mind, I dragged the dead deer, which was still warm in my strong jaws, towards my night den. I prowled the dark forest of night, hunting for more stags. My sharp eyes scanned the Glade, seeing nothing._

___The stags were probably asleep by now. The forest was mine and I allowed no intruders to enter it. I howled to the moon for the fun of it, feeling the blizzard's cold stinging me. Not did it matter. All that mattered was that I was free! No hunters to hunt me!_

__

___I passed by a tree. There was someone there! I watched behind the tree waiting for it to reappear. Maybe it's another deer, I thought. It was totally unexpected. Instead of a doe, I saw a beautiful girl with brown hair in the middle of the forest, she was as pale as sheet. _

__

___What is she doing in my territory? She was obviously suffering from hypothermia of the cold winter. Suddenly she collapsed. I felt pity for her, even if it wasn't my nature. I flipped her onto her back and stared into her closed eyes. She was BEAUTIFUL! Her brown curls reminded me of my mum's chocolate hair before she… It's too painful to talk about my mum. Her face was a ripe peach. Talking about her makes me feel so… So… I can't describe it! I fell in love with her immediately. I then decided to help the poor girl - even if it meant someone might see me. I spread my white angel wings. I thought to myself that I might see her again…_

When she woke up the next morning Laura found, to her utter amazement, to be at home safe and sound, her basket overflowing with groceries her mum ordered. Laura immediately looked around her bedroom with joy in her heart. She was home! She could hardly believe that she was finally home with her entire family!

"Mum! Dave! Dad! Oh, I thought I'd never see you again! I'm so glad to see you guys, even annoying Dave!" she grinned, hugging the trio simultaneously. Dave looked disgusted as she hugged them, pushing Laura away.

"Yuck! Don't get your nasty girl germs on me!" he cried. Mum scolded him gently. Then she turned to Laura, her face concerned like a mum.

"I'm really sorry, Laura, about last night. It was really stupid and I should have stopped you from going out there." Mother paused, as if she wanted to say more, but too afraid to say the words. The seconds seemed to drag on for hours. Until Dave suggested they go to the village fair later in the day. Father laughed, messing Dave's hair like he always did when Dave made a ridiculous comment.

"We can go in four weeks time. Laura must rest for now since she had a big shock," explained Dad. Dave groaned; he _really_ wanted to go to the fair today. He had been pestering his parents for _AGES _to go to the village fair. Laura could only smile, resting her head against the flower-patterned pillow. She could hardly wait for the festival to start.

_What an interesting start! Just WHO is the Carniave? Will Laura meet it again? All this and more in the next romantic chapter: A Date With Destiny! I love reviews from my doting fans, so click that review button!_


	2. A Date With Destiny

**Cry Of The Carniave**  
  
Two weeks later...

Laura rode through the woods on her brown dappled roan, Freckles. The winter sun shone down on the silent white forest as Freckles cantered down the track in a flurry of hooves. The snow-covered landscape surrounded the rider as though she was in the Artic tundra. It really felt as though she was the only person in the world. It was ironic to imagine that this forest was the place where she was alone and vulnerable against the blizzard.

Suddenly Freckles stared to canter. "Woah Freckles! Take it nice and easy will you?" The roan snorted in reply, gaining momentum as she trotted. Freckles didn't care about walking; she wanted to go as fast as greased lightning. No animals were to be seen, except a few squirrels scurrying amongst the tree trunks. Laura felt the saddle shift underneath her as Freckles finally stopped. And then, she saw _him..._  
  
He was leaning against a leaf-bare dedicious tree near the forest, his blonde hair hanging around his handsome shaded face. He was wearing a pretty hooded green cloak, the elaborate red decorations sprawling over it.

He was no older than me, yet he caught my eye. _He's handsome,_ I thought dreamily, thinking of all the things we could do together. We could go on a date together. I leapt from the saddle and made my way over to him- only to trip over his leg.

Stupid Laura, I scolded myself, feeling embarrassed by my act. My hands flew up in a manner of shock as I fell over. But fortunately, he caught me in time, grabbing my shoulders. "Oh! I am so sorry, are you alright?" I apologized to the gorgeous boy, concern on my face. He spoke casually, as though this incidence was of no importance. "Yeah, I'm ok." He smiled just once, his mysterious grin lighting up his face like a light bulb. For once I felt comfortable around this boy. _Oh, my god. I think I like this guy._ I thought. "Call me Jay, you'll meet me around here sometime." continued Jay, he started to walk back towards the forest, the morning sun shining down. I couldn't bear him to leave. I wanted to get to know him first. "WAIT!" I called suddenly.  
  
I turned around, turning around to face the beautiful girl. _What could that annoying girl possibly want from me now?_ I thought. I felt hostile towards her, giving her a remote glare that could have shot darts at her. "What?" I said roughly, hoping the pesky girl would go away. She didn't (drat!). Instead she blushed, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable about being the centre of her attention. I'm not that used to being talked to. I suddenly felt hot underneath the collar and I actually wanted to tell her to get lost. But strangely, I liked her, despite my hostile feelings towards her. I gave in to my emotions. The girl talked friendlily to me, she didn't sound at all afraid of me. But I let her talk about how she got here and I replied her questions with simple answers. Finally she concluded her talk with: "I just met you Jay, and liked you. So I was wondering whether you would like to go to the village fair with me in two weeks time?" By now I realized that I liked her chatty personality. So I said yes, which is unusual for me, since I normally would have said no. So she gave me her address, which she wrote on the sole of my boot, said goodbye to me and rode off with her roan. I couldn't wait to see her again.  
  
On the day of the fair...

"Coming!" I yelled, while brushing my hair vigorously with the comb. I answered the door with the brush all tangled up in my hair, my frock all ruffled and worse of all, two mismatched pairs of stockings. I opened the door in a temper. This was not the ideal date I thought it would be. But if Jay was embarrassed, he didn't show it.

He arrived with a bouquet of wild flowers for me. They were cliché, their striking colours filling up the room. Their petals were like colourful windmills. I was touched by his generosity. Jay was still dressed in his green travelling cloak, but at least he managed to look more handsome and clean. "Hi Jay," I said smoothly.

"Hi there, I managed to look as best as I could for the occasion. But I didn't have time to buy some flowers for you, so I picked them from the forest." He ended on a nervous note, as if not knowing what to say next. He looked upset, so I said hurriedly: "Don't worry Jay, I like those flowers you picked. Really,"  
  
I felt so nervous, standing there with Laura staring at me. I could tell she was trying to make me feel better, but it only made the tension worse. I really wanted to impress her. But with my ordinary green cloak, which was a little dusty from rough travelling, and Laura wearing a splendid grand dress, I could only feel anxiety settling in like a dastardly demon. _What if she didn't like the flowers I gave her? What if she thought my cloak was not proper?_ Turned out she didn't mind my cloak and she liked the flowers, so I relaxed a little.  
  
At the Glade Village Fair...

"Buns; come and get your buns! Fresh from the oven! Get 'em while they're hot!"

"Eels, lovely eels! Delicious when made as kebabs! Bring one home today!" The atmosphere of the fair was hectic and hot, as huge crowds of people from all over town watched the village festivities. Carriages trundled into the village square, the horses panting as they trotted along. Jugglers in fancy costumes juggled to the audience's delight. Shopkeepers yelled, selling all sorts of things from food stalls. Jay and I wandered from stall to stall, trying to find a game we could play. Was I imaging it or was Jay finally loosening up?  
  
Jay turned to me, pointing to a ring toss stall. People were queuing up for the Hoop The Loop game. "Do you want to try the ring toss stall?" he asked me. I noticed people missing the targets and instead hitting the obstacles. The stall keeper looked shifty.

"Sure Jay, but it looks so difficult! Look how many people are losing!"

"Don't worry, I did this millions of times when I was a kid." Jay gestured to the stall keeper, who looked fed up with the crowds.

The stall keeper had slick black hair, dishonest eyes and a mean sneer that looked like a crook's. He was polishing one of the red rings with a dirty cloth. He spat into the rag, a disgusted look on his sallow face. His greasy moustache twitched as he leered at Jay, his figure slouching on the counter.

"Yes? What do you want?" he leered at Jay.

Jay seemed unfazed as he handed the dishonest keeper six shillings. The keeper's beady eyes nearly popped out of his head at the amount of money Jay handed.

"Six rings please." Jay was given six rings, much to the grumbling of the keeper. Jay tossed the rings at the targets, one at a time. _Ping!_ There goes one. _Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!_ Astonishingly, Jay's accuracy was a perfect score! The keeper could only watch Jay with awe. Jay managed to throw the last one over the target. Ping! People applauded, amazed at his skill. I was impressed too, I cheered for him all the way.

"Wow, oh wow." The keeper gasped, shaking his head. "In all those 19 years I've never seen a better shot than this gentleman here. I positioned the targets so it would be impossible to win, yet this gentleman managed to toss them all! This gentleman must be a master at this."

"Actually, I'm only a beginner." Jay added sheepishly. I felt so proud of Jay at that moment. Jay requested a prize and the keeper handed him a bead necklace. "Laura, I don't think I deserve this prize. If it weren't for your encouragement, I would have lost. But you gave me courage. Therefore, this is for you." Jay said softly. Words flew away from me as I felt pure happiness.  
  
After a whole day of doing stuff at the fair, I changed my mind about Laura. She might have been pesky and annoying in the beginning, but she was the opposite. Then I made the biggest mistake of my entire life. I attended the Dusk Dance. "Let's attend the Dusk Dance Jay." Began Laura, walking hand in hand with me. The Dusk Dance! The world seemed to stand still. I felt fear at what she suggested.  
  
"I can't attend it! I have to go somewhere!" I yelled at poor Laura. She looked puzzled then she began to drag me towards the dance floor. I had to make up an excuse- and fast. People were dancing and enjoying themselves, the folk music shrill.

"Why not Jay?" Laura asked me, concerned. I started to panic, sweat dripping from my face. _How could I tell her the truth? She'll never believe me._

Suddenly I had one of those ideas. I stalled, biding my time. Would it work?

"Err... I can't dance really well. I'm terrible at dancing!" I stalled. Laura laughed, her laughter sounded like the tinkle of silver sleigh bells. It was like music to my ears. She pulled me towards the dance even more. The dancers were performing a Morris Dance.

"Don't worry. I'll teach you how to dance. Observe."

Laura stepped gracefully to the rhythm of the music, facing me. She then gave me some ribbons and bells and told me to strap them to my legs. This I did, feeling very foolish indeed. Then she gathered several of her friends, put them in groups of threes, handed us sticks and the folk music began. Step, leap and clash.

As we danced, Laura's friends already seemed to know how to do it, kicking their legs up high in the air and banging their sticks together faster than I could count. Laura instructed me how to do it, lifting up her petticoats every time she leapt. I enjoyed dancing very much, to my surprise. It was easy, once you knew how to do it. Laura gave me a satisfied glance.  
  
The Morris dance ended at sudden climax, everyone stopped dancing for a moment catching his or her breath and laughing. Then they got together as they danced to a slow ballroom ballad. I stared at Laura, who was shyly blushing underneath her makeup.

I took her hand in mine, and as I did, a delightful shiver ran up my back. Her hair was a river of chocolate running down her dress. She smiled, a small but grateful smile. Her lips were rosy peaches. She was so beautiful, I realized. I wanted to reach out and touch her with my hand. Her eyes were shining stars in the night's sky. I felt totally embarrassed again.

"Save the last dance?" I asked Laura, staring into her eyes. It was as if I was spellbound

"Sure Jay," she replied softly.  
  
It was magical, absolutely magical. The everyday world melted away, leaving only Laura and me. I stared into Laura's amber eyes and she did likewise. She gripped me with her attraction. She went closer to me, almost touching me then she reached out and touched my hair, brushing it softly. I wanted her to stop doing it, but the words were caught up in my throat. I could hear her breathing on my shoulder; I liked the sound of the breathing. It sounded like the sigh of the wind. A tingling sensation rushed through me as we danced, matching each rhythm with sound.

"Jay, maybe just to finish off our little date, maybe we could..." Unexpectedly, Laura kissed me on the lips. We were oblivious to everything, even when the nightmare began.

Suddenly I felt the familiar sensation of extreme dizziness, the world seemed to tilt and spin around in circles. I sank to the ground, fearing what was happening to me. Then I realized with a sinking heart that I left it too late. The sun was showing its last rays as it sank below the horizon, darkness rapidly overtaking the light.

"What's wrong Jay?" Laura asked me, a very concerned look on her face.  
  
The transformation was just beginning. I felt something flapping behind me. I touched them. Wings! Feathery wings growing on my shoulder blades! I must have looked like an angel by now! And people could see it in plain view!

People exclaimed in shock as they stopped dancing. I grabbed Laura's hands, only to my horror, to discover that there was white fur growing on my hands! My hands! Every single muscle in my body hurt as I transformed, it was so intense I nearly screamed out in pain! I started shrinking rapidly as my nose and mouth stretched out to form a kind of muzzle. My arms resembled stumps of wood as claws replaced my nails.

Laura looked terrified of what I became, backing away from me as far as she could. I cried out to her, trying to make her understand I didn't want her to leave. She was the only person who ever loved me... "Laura!" I tried to scream out to her. Instead what came out was a low menacing growl...

_Oooh_


	3. The Begining of the seven Quests

**Cry Of the Carniave**

I stared in horror at Jay. _Was this the Jay I knew as kind and gentle? Was this the person that gave the bead necklace to me?_ Fear of the people showed in Jay's eyes, I could see it.

_"Grrrrr… Rrrrrooowwwl!"_ Jay let out a terrifying growl that made me tremble with fear.

By now people recognized Jay as the Carniave of Glade Forest. Intense hate showed in their pitiless eyes.

Suddenly one person exclaimed, waving a long stick:

"That person was the Carniave that brought terror to us all those years ago! Let's hunt it now and it will never see daylight again!"

People agreed loudly, holding up jagged sticks and brittle stones. They were going to kill Jay and stuff him! I took a huge risk and stood between Jay and the rioting people, shielding him. The now-complete Carniave, Jay, whimpered softly, his stunning white wings quivering with fear.

"NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I yelled, startling several people. "Can't you see this Carniave was human? That Carniave was my BOYFRIEND! My kind, gentle boyfriend who gave me this diamond necklace!" The people were unmoved by my clamours. Instead they shoved past me, pushing me into the muddy ground. This was outrageous!

One massive man (the ring toss keeper) grabbed poor Jay roughly by the scruff of the neck, his wings hanging limply at his side. I ran to the man urgently, trying to prise Jay from his powerful grip. His fists were so tight around Jay's neck; I could tell Jay was suffering from lack of air. _HOW DARE THAT MAN HURT POOR JAY!_

"LET JAY GO!!!!! HE'S INNOCENT! DON'T DARE YOU HURT HIM!"

"So, the little girl wants me to let the wolf go!" The man mocked me, his cruel rapacious eyes glinting dangerously in his gaunt face.

To my horror, he tried to wring Jay's neck, but Jay wouldn't take being handled like that and bit the man's burly hand until it drew blood. The man immediately let go, cradling his wounded hand as though it was a baby. Blood was spilling out of the cut as I saw sharp fang marks covering his hands.

"OOOWWWW! THAT CARNIAVE!" howled the cruel man.

_Served him right!_ I thought viciously.

Jay fled away into the dark dim forest, mournfully howling at the top of his voice. He vanished into the dark trees, the hunters trailing after him like the tail of a comet.

"HOWW-OW-OW-OW-OWL!" I felt remorse, knowing that Jay was gone forever."Jay! Come back!" I called to him. A heartbreaking howl was the only reply, echoing dismally among the trees…

_Two weeks later…_

_I knocked on the door, hoping that Laura was inside the house. What should I say to her? Would she still want to talk to me after that nightmarish incident? I thought. I remembered what happened earlier in the forest. The angry people pursued me as if they were chasing a deer. I could remember the ways they tried to trap me, their faces full of hate and anger. Their faces sneered at me, faces flickering in the torch-fire. They thought they had me cornered, getting closer to me. But if they thought I was going to beg for mercy, I had another thing coming for them! I spread my dazzling white wings, letting the silver moonlight reflect off them. The moonlight warmed my wolfish body, giving me renewed energy to flee. The effect was enormous, blinding the people temporary as I got away. I ran as fast as my legs could take me, through the Glade._

_I wondered whether I should tell Laura about myself, since she knew about my secret already. But she refused to go near me, preferring to stay a long distance away. That single action broke my aching heart; I thought maybe she didn't love me anymore because of what I was. Finally, I picked up the courage to ask her personally. Well, here goes…_

__

I opened the door blearily; it was 7 am and time to make breakfast. _Who would call at this time of the day?_ I wondered, rubbing sleep from my eyes. When I saw Jay standing there in his green cloak, I was surprised, standing there in my dressing gown.

"Jay! What are you doing here so early?" I said, shocked by his arrival. Jay shuffled his feet nervously. I was puzzled. _What did he want? Why was he standing there?_

__

"Laura! I just came to ask you a question. When you refused to go near me earlier, you broke my heart! Don't you love me anymore, because of what I am? A horrible half human beast? Or do you hate me now because of that incident at the fair? Please say no, I'll just _die_ if you said yes!" Jay was now on his knees, as if he was begging for mercy. _Was he… Crying?_ To my shock, I could see crystal tears spilling down his face. _He must be serious about it…_

I pondered Jay's question, thinking back to the time I saw him transform into the fearsome beast. I remembered how the hunters pursued him into the woods before he disappeared. I remembered how I defended him, his terrified expression. Even when the hunters rioted, I protected him from their weapons. _Did I really love him?_ I asked to myself. _Yes, I did. I defended him._

"Jay, of course I still love you. Remember when I protected you against the hunters?" I said gently, my voice sounding soft as a feather. To my relief Jay stopped sobbing, his beautiful sapphire opaque eyes gleaming. He looked ecstatic, his face lighting up with an enormous grin. It was the most beautiful thing in the world, to see Jay finally beam.

"You really mean it??? Do you really forgive me Laura? _All right!_" His voice sounded hoarse and cracked as he wiped away tears of joy. After a few minutes however, it seemed that he came for another reason…

I looked at Laura gratefully. A few minutes ago it seemed as if Laura was going to dump me. Now I had something to look forward to after all. But I needed her help most of all, at this very moment. I needed to look for the Carniave cure, but would she understand how important it was for me? Would she help me look for it? Would she… I slid my hand over Laura's hand, feeling more than tense.

"Laura, I need to tell you something," My voice sounded urgent, breathless.

I looked up at Jay curiously. _What did he want?_ His eyes were a serious azure, reflecting the radiant sky outside. His blonde hair, although untidy, was like an angel's hair, wavy and clean.

"Laura, I need to tell you my history. About how I was and why I need to journey with you to find my cure for being this winged wolf beast." Jay continued, his narration sounding much like a fairytale…

"_Once in Glade Forest a long time ago, there was a peasant and his wife who lived in a cottage at the edge of a forest. The wife was expecting a firstborn child in a few months time. Life was peaceful. However, one day they took in a handsome blue-cloaked stranger and prepared a meal for their visitor in a fierce blizzard. They were poor and they couldn't afford much to eat. When the mysterious stranger saw how meagre the meal was, he flew in a terrible rage, sending plates crashing to the ground. Pointing to the wife he cried furiously to her:_

_"Cursed be you and all this household! Your firstborn will be a human at day, but a terrible beast at night, terrorizing Glade village forever! He will bring awful luck to anyone in your family!" With that pronounced jinx, he disappeared with a bang, never to seen again by the family._

_ When the parents learned of the curse, they decided to abandon the child, leaving him to live with a rich blacksmith. Mr. John was a cruel and abusive alcoholic to the boy over the next couple of years, treating him like a servant, swearing and beating him whenever he stopped working. The boy had several cuts and bruises from the man. In the end, the boy had to flee. He tried to get in touch with his biological parents, but learnt they both died of influenza. Since the peasants were poor and John was stingy, the poor boy had to rough it, training as a thief, for he had no other way to get money. That boy was me. I grew hostile to the world. Eventually I met you; you were the only person who ever loved me for what I am, instead of what I was on the outside." _

"Now I have to get rid of this horrid curse and I think I know who can help me, the knowing, powerful Sorcerer of Glade Forest! Will you help me in my valiant quest?" Jay turned to me, my stunned face clearly showing. I blushed, my face showing a pink hue. Jay's life seemed more bizarre than ever before. Who would have ever known that his life was so unusual in so many ways? It was as if I had been hit by a sledgehammer._What could I say to him? _I opened my mouth…

One week later…

"Are we there yet, Jay?" Laura asked as we passed a bubbling brook. Songbirds twittered prettily in the fresh morning air, the forest around us was strangely silent. _Too silent._ I thought wistfully to myself,

giving a grimace. I just couldn't stop thinking about the soft-spoken female companion beside me, my really sore legs rubbing the tough leather saddle. And her face. Her wonderful, cheery face that seemed to light up the world with its radiance. It seemed like ages since that nightmarish incident at the fair and yet- she was closer to me than ever.

Hard for me to believe that I once thought she was annoying and bratty. Now she was more intimate than a friend. I could feel her warm, loving body pressed against mine as we rode. But now I had more things to think about. Like that sorcerer. _I wonder if the sorcerer will cure me of my curse?_

Freckles kept frolicking on the dusty, winding (and muddy- it had poured heavily) track. Freckles kept grazing the lush grass, her neck craned as she nibbled it. I adjusted my green robe, it had been pretty dusty from all the dust, but the dust would wash away with a little scrubbing. We had to get to the Vale of the Glade to request the mighty magician, which was deep beyond the heart of the forest.

__

"Freckles! Keep on the road did you hear me?" Laura yelled; her legs straddled on Freckle's back. The roan pretended not to notice. Laura was wearing a French country frock with petticoats inside, which made it difficult to ride. She groaned. "I _hate_ this dress!" she cried.

Freckles abruptly swerved to the right, her gait quickening with every step. With every step we were taken into the heart of the Glade, dark shady trees surrounding our insignificant figures. Laura huddled against me, her slim graceful shoulders touching my broad back…

We were in the heart of the _Glade_. Terrifying animal eyes glared at us through brambles. The immense towering trees, darkening the forest scene, blotted out the life giving sun. Animal noises surrounded us sounding threatening. An owl screeched out a warning as it clawed me with its huge talons.

Jay nodded slightly, his head concealed by his hooded mantle. Beyond the darkness of the woods, I saw a distant glimmer of green, a valley up ahead. I felt Jay stiffen with fear, as if he had turned to metal.

"Yes, this place is the Vale of the Glade." Jay murmured, his eyes glazing. _What on earth was happening to Jay? He wasn't like that a moment ago!_

I shivered; it was so chilly in the dim forest even when the sun was shining.

I touched Jay's hand for comfort. But a shock of cold ran through my body as I touched him. He was _freezing_! Jay seemed to not be himself, looking distantly. __

Suddenly he leapt from the saddle and started running! Running north of the Glade!

"Jay!" I cried. He vanished into the mists of the Glade, leaving me all alone. I galloped after him, urging Freckles onwards, getting more lost than ever before. _Will I EVER catch up with Jay? Where was he going? _I wondered as Freckles cantered.

Before long Freckles and I reached a grassy glen. It had steep sides to it. Rocks were sprawled among the edges of it. Grayish clouds swirled into ethereal mystical patterns. Blocking my view of the valley, a huge tree trunk stood in my way. Jay's voice could be heard chanting:

"_When the Carniave howls its eerie cry,_

_And the silent Sorcerer doesn't reply,_

_I, Jay, evoke thee from the depths of the Vale!_

_Unless I, Jay, have to endure hell!"_

Immediately, there was a huge cracking sound and the tree trunk divided, sending a shower of splinters all over the glen. I ducked on my knees, avoiding the pointed edges of the fragments. Freckles was terrified of the trunk, rearing. It seemed to me as if the world had split apart. When the cracking stopped, I peered between my fingers timidly.

I was astonished by the gaping hole in the vast shoot; the trunk of the tree seemed to be _hollow_! This thick stalk seemed to be the dwellingof a _forest sprite,_ for there was crude furniture made of branches and leaves strewn around the room and some type of woven _bag_. But on closer inspection it seemed to be the home of a sorcerer, for there was a few worn, tattered sorcery books with dog-eared pages and a noble egret with a nerving glare perching on a protruding branch. _Jay should have been here, but where was he?_ I panicked. Just then Jay raced into the peculiar place.

"Sorcerer! I command you to appear!" he demanded.

The white egret with the plumage swooped down from the branch with a bloodcurdling screech. As we watched, the jutting beak became a normal nose; the glowering eyes became the hostile, artic-blue eyes of the magician and the white feathers fused together to become long ebony hair.

The magician stood before us, his glowing eyes showing fury. He surprisingly looked like a youthful teenager; I had expected an old man with a long white beard. _Was he the all-powerful magician that Jay commanded? He looked too young to be one._ He wore a garment of long flowing velvet, weird mysterious patterns swirling across the robe.

Jay stepped forwards, his face showing respect for the teenager. He bowed lowly to the stern faced teen. The teen-magician grunted, obliviously irritated by Jay.

"_Master Glen Usawai Of The Vale Of The Glade_, I, Jay, have come to your humble service to request the permanent removal of the Carniave curse." Jay muttered, reverence showing on his face.

The sorcerer chuckled, his face showing amusement

"Oh, Jay, I remember you. You were the _unfortunate_ child of the parents that infuriated me not so long ago. I see that you have company with you. Your _girlfriend_ I presume?" My face felt very hot, embarrassed by the teasing of the magician. I hid my blushing face in my hands. Jay continued looking energized at the prospect of encountering Master Glen.

"She is my girlfriend, Master. I adore her, but it pains me greatly to transform into a beast of the night, that's why I came, Master Glen." Jay paused for a moment.

Glen thought for a while, stroking his chin.

"Jay, this is a difficult situation that I must think about. You will have to prove yourself _worthy enough_ to claim the remedy, for it only works for the valiant and daring of hearts. But the treatment comes at a costly price. When I transform you into a human, your companion must sacrifice something that would cost her, for once the curse is pronounced, it cannot be undone." I wanted to cry out the unfairness of it all.

Master Glen continued mumbling about the cure while Jay kept nodding.

"You must prove yourself worthy of the cure, for I will set you seven quests you must complete within two weeks. The items I will retrieve from you will be the ingredients of the Carniave remedy. Without them, I'm afraid I'll fail to cure you, Jay. These tests of strength are extremely difficult and I do warn you one thing Jay. _If you do fail any of these quests you will be a Carniave for all eternity, understand?_ These are the seven quests, rated from lowest to highest. _Fire's feather, Water's scale, Ice's silver armour, Air's breath, Sun's glory, Shadow's gloom and Storm's eggs._ I wish you good luck on your journey! Farewell _travellers of the true destiny!_"

With a flash of brilliant blinding light, _Master Glen Usawai _disappeared as briefly as a flower. Jay turned to me, his azure eyes full of sincere hope. His eyes reminded me of two shining marbles in his small piercing face. His warm hand twined around mine, interlocked by a gesture of passion, destiny and hope, all in one move. It was sudden, yet gentle to the touch and I liked it. His isolated look was no longer, replaced instead by warmth and friendliness of his nature.

"Let's go." He whispered, a silent voice in the dark room. Flames flickered in the prevailing darkness of the den as Glen's voice filled the air like a vibrating gong. _"Your quest begins,"_

__

_So what did you think of it? Did you like it? What challenges do Laura and Jay face on their quests? Will their love survive? Will Jay admit that he loves Laura? Find out in the next exciting and romantic chapter, "Hell's Gates"!_


	4. Hell's Gates

**Cry Of the Carniave**

****

Laura seemed startled by the voice of Glen; I wasn't, for Glen often spoke like a thundercloud. Immediately I felt something rustling against my green cloak.

I pulled it out quickly, meticulously as to not damage the contents. It was a browning parchment, fractured with age, the torn edges fraying from overuse. _Was it a message from Master Glen?_ I rapidly scanned the cracked ancient hieroglyphs of the manuscript. Laura bent over curiously, her frock crumpling. __

_The fraying quill of fuming fire,_

_Will not be of passionate desire,_

_But if this thing, thou inspire,_

_Thou shalt have thee heart dire_

"What does it mean, Jay?"asked Laura, her amber eyes glistening. I did not know but could only guess the meaning of the rhyme.

_What did it mean? Did it mean that it would bring awful luck? Or did it mean that the feather brought something else along with it?_

__

"I guess it means that Fire's feather is not of desire, but brings awful luck?" I theorized. Laura looked thoughtful, her graceful hands under her pointed chin; she was quiet for a moment. The only sound around was the flames of the fireplace sputtering. They licked the iron grate of the furnace hungrily, like ravenous wolves… Speaking of wolves, _I am _the Carniave, am I not?

At least I had my companion Laura to help me. She was the prettiest vixen in the world. I didn't have much time to dwell on my thoughts though, we had only fourteen days to find the items, and then… My mind clicked together like a puzzle. If I failed miserably, I would be trapped in a Carniave's body for eternity. My heart sank. It was a two-way situation; either way was fatal. To be trapped or not be trapped? I would do this quest for the sake of Laura, no matter what the cost.

"Let's begin, now where shall we journey?" Laura queried, her eyes widened in shock.

"What is it Laura?" I whispered, bewildered by her sudden action. She pointed to the parchment, her finger quivering.

"The parchment… _More writing is appearing…" _she croaked, I peered at the writing. To my shock, she was right. As I watched, more words appeared as if an invisible hand wrote it.

_The gates of Fearthin, thou shalt find,_

_Where lava spews and then combines._

_The paths of wrath within the quarry,_

_Suggest that thou better hurry._

"We have to hurry, for the fiery gates of Fearthin are closing! They always close at sunset and they only open once a decade! Follow me, I know where it is!" Jay leapt to his feet as nimble as a cat. I followed too, only to stumble on my long petticoats. Jay helped me up, but I could see he was exasperated.

"We don't want to waste any time! The gates are closing at any minute-!" Jay stopped talking as he winced in pain. He rubbed his shoulder blades, I could see to my horror that wisps of feathery growths were appearing on his shoulders for the second time. Jay collapsed to his knees, his breath becoming ragged and short. He let out a cry of anguish as his joints twisted and bent. I felt sympathy for him, knowing how much it must hurt. Coarse white fur began to appear all over his body, pointed ears began to replace human ears and within a few seconds the transformation was complete. Jay was now the fearsome Carniave. Jay looked sorrowful, his wolfish face signifying grief. His green cloak was torn from his metamorphosis, tatters lying on the floor. I cried for him, fresh tears plopping onto the earth floor…

I watched Laura cry, her crystal tears trickling down. It broke my Carniave heart to see her like this. My conscious mind within knew that we had no time. We had to get to the gates by winged flight. But how to communicate to Laura when my human speech had gone, replaced by a wolfish howl? Just then, I had a great idea! My Carniave instincts yearned to feel the breeze on my face, to chase stags across forests. I used my wild urging instincts to my advantage, flaring them so they raged.

I swooped underneath Laura, feeling her weight slow me down a bit. Laura was surprised as she was picked up, balancing precariously. I then used my pure Carniave magic to project Laura and I outside Glen's dwelling.

"What the- Jay! Where are you taking me?" Laura cried as I switched on my gears, frightening Freckles as I speeded to the white fluffy clouds, faster than lightning. Laura was nearly blown away from the velocity, hanging by a hand. Her legs were dangling in the twilight air. _Laura!_ I held onto Laura's sleeve as Laura regained her posture.

I continued speeding, until I saw a deep pit with fire billowing out of it. Lava spewed out of the pit occasionally as two blazing gates adorned the pit, preventing anyone from entering it. The shining gates were decorated with mysterious symbols and ancient languages. On the lock was an illustration of the Fire Guardian with its wings outspread. They were slightly open, about to swing close with a clang. Laura looked very nervous.

"Uh, Jay? You aren't planning to go there are you?" she whimpered.

_This is it Laura! This is the Fearthin Gates! Or 'Hell's Gates' as it is often called. _Just then I remembered that the flames could burn Laura because she was a mortal and I wasn't. I was in a dilemma. I wanted to rush though the gates before they could close, but if I passed through the inferno I could risk burning Laura. I wouldn't be hurt, because I was an immortal and could heal myself fairly quickly while I went into the pit. _That's it! _I realized, _I could perform a spell to heal Laura, and then she wouldn't be hurt!_ I flapped my wings as I dove for the gates, I could feel Laura hanging on to my fur as the gates clanged behind us with a finality…

I could feel the wind rush past me as the smoking gates vibrated; I hung onto Jay's white fur as Jay dove into the scorching crater. Immediately, I felt like I was in an oven, my hands and legs had multiple burns on them as the scorching heat licked the hem of my frock. I yelled out in pain, for they hurt so much! Jay had blisters on his singed fur too, but to my amazement, his burns were repaired just as quickly.

"Hey! I didn't know you had healing powers!" Jay growled gruffly.

I guessed that it must be his attempt of a laugh. I could smell burning flesh, but as I held up my hands, they were restored to their former appearance, the burns slowly shrinking. I felt gratitude to Jay for healing me. I hugged Jay's furry back, feeling his heartbeat.

"Thank you Jay," I breathed…

I swooped in mid air, my airborne wings barely scraping the dark rock ledges. Scarlet lava flowed out of several crevasses before they cooled down in the lower regions of the pit, the burning molten rock cooling with a _hiss_. I felt the heat of the thermals rise, lifting me upwards towards certain danger. A birdlike screech shook the cliffs, sending sagacities tumbling into the lava. I felt (for the second time this day) fear striking my heart. _What was there in the pit that caused that inhuman shriek?_ Laura tightly held onto me, her fists white with dread. I could see everything in the darkened pit; even the energy sources of the lava, for my night and magic vision were combined to be multi-dimensional.

And Laura, I couldn't wait to cuddle up and kiss her…Why did I keep thinking about Laura, even in the most crucial moments!? I wanted to slap myself but I couldn't. If only I had hands! Another birdlike screech echoed in the fiery pit, making the lava fester furiously. I landed on a rocky ridge, my Carniave legs absorbing most of the impact. Laura leapt off my furry back in a single bound, her slender feminine legs barely touching the floor.

"Let's go Jay! Let's go kick that Fire's big butt!" she yelled. _Talk about being so bold; she was really scared a moment ago!_ I thought to myself. Luckily she couldn't hear my thoughts! Laura glared at me. _Huh? Why was she staring at me like that?_

__

"Jay? Did you say something about me being a sacredly cat?" she asked me. I could feel my transformed face turn red.

_Errrrr… No, I didn't. I thought you couldn't hear me!_

"Yes I could! I could hear your voice say something about me!" she yelled back.

Before I could reply to Laura's comment, a stream of fire interrupted our argument. The fire was coming towards us! Laura screamed out of terror as a reddish majestic-looking bird flew at us!

The bird seemed to be entirely made of fire, burning a route through the hellish pit of doom. The fierce fiery bird screamed in fury as it launched another attack, melting rocks with the blast from its beak. I knew I would be a goner against this wrathful creature. Compared with this bird, I would be a useless attacker.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! WHAT IN HELL WAS THAT?" Laura screamed as she dodged another fireball from the bird.

_It's the Fire Guardian! The Phoenix of Fearthin! This fierce bird had guarded the Fire of Fury for centuries! It was created by Master Glen to protect the gates of Fearthin forever! It is supposed to attack stealers of the Fire with blasts of fire! _

"Like that is going to make me leap with joy?" asked Laura with sarcasm.

_Err… No. There's more bad news coming up. I cannot win against this Phoenix, cause every immortal has his weakness right? Well, I have mine. Plus, this bird is 2000 times stronger than me, and even my magic powers can't match with its fire abilities._

"That is so not good," groaned Laura.

_At least I could try,_ I replied softly. I concentrated really hard on the Phoenix, so hard in fact that my form started glimmering.

_Harder, Laura is counting on you!_ Laura started cheering for me, like a spectator at the games. I summoned the energy within me, the magic I had since I was a child. A flicker of reddish light raced across my wings, creating a laser-like beam forming between my reflecting feathers. Finally, it reached a point where enough energy was released. I prepared to launch a beam of destructive power at my target, which was circling in the air.

_I hope this works. For the sake of Laura, I'll risk this quest all for her, even if it destroys all my hopes to be human! _"You can do it!" cheered Laura.

I released the powerful beam at the Phoenix, hoping… hoping that the bird would be destroyed to allow a feather to drop down. My Carniave ears could hear the bird squawking as it orbited us. _SSSSZZZZZ! _The laser struck the bird in the belly.

I was going to celebrate, but to my horror, the bird _absorbed_ the beam and sent it back 100 times stronger than before! It collided with the cliff's edge!

_NNNNNOOOOO!!!!! _I cried as an earth-shattering explosion sent lava and rocks flying all over the place. I sank into an eternal blackness as Laura was tossed several metres…

I groaned as I tried to stand up, feeling burns covering all over my body. I was standing on a rocky edge for some reason, instead of being in my warm bed. I didn't know how long I blacked out for. Two hours? Seven hours? Where was I? Immediately my memories came flooding back with what happened before. _Jay! Where was he? _I panicked, feeling desperate. I stared around the area, calling Jay's name.

"Jay! Jay, where are you?" I felt like I was about to cry. _What if Jay was tossed off the cliff into the lava? Then I couldn't see him again! Jay would be killed!_

Just then I saw Jay's battered _body… _Jay was human again, except he wasn't wearing any clothes! I could see scorch marks and burns slowly recovering over his body. Jay's eyes were closed, so he couldn't see me. He looked more dead than alive, his breathing regular. My face turned a pale colour.

"Oh, Jay…" I whispered, "What has that Phoenix done to you?" I looked up to see the fearsome firebird feasting on a recent victim, cooking the meat as it ate. I felt angry at the phoenix for hurting Jay. Furious to be exact.

"Phoenix of Fearthin! I challenge you to a rematch for hurting my boyfriend!" I yelled at the bird. To my amazement, the phoenix screamed back its answer, nesting on the ledge as if it was protecting its territory. _What?_ I thought, being surprised. I didn't know the fiery bird could speak!

_"Here I am trying to get some sleep and you interfering mortals come and trample my territory! Can't a Guardian get some peace and quiet around here? Why have you meddling mortals come? Nobody comes here unless the Master commands him or her to. Anyway, they can't survive the intense heat! But I can, this is my home and it's nice and cosy. I could finish you off anytime, so there's no need to hurry. Surely you are a thief out to steal my Fire? One false move and it's roasted mortal for dinner!" _

__

__It spoke in an angelic voice, sounding really annoyed. This wasn't the time to get on the Phoenix's bad side, seeing that it could turn me into ashes in a second. I had to bide my time, at least until Jay wakes up. I tried not to annoy the Phoenix, but the furious bird grew angrier, no matter how hard I tried.

"I _was _sent by Master Glen, Phoenix. I'm not a thief and not going to steal your Fire. I was commanded to get one of your tail feathers by the Master, so please can I have it?" I said politely. The Phoenix looked insulted at this remark. Taking flight with its colossal wings, the gigantic bird opened its beak- and a column of fire poured out of it.

_"NOOOO!!!!!! You can't have my feathers! You must be lying!"_ the Fire Guardian screeched, sending huge rocks crashing down into the lava river with the sound of its voice.

I narrowly dodged the flames, leaping nimbly onto another ledge. I could feel the heat from the flames burning my frock a bit. I didn't know how long I could keep this up, but sooner or later I might be barbeque! _Hurry up Jay!_ I thought.

I woke up groggily, rubbing my head as I stood up. Where am I? I wondered, where's Laura? For a moment everything I remembered was a blur. But then my memory returned sharply. _I was turned into my Carniave form and attacked the Phoenix. But then Laura must be hurt! OH GOD, NO!!!_

Just then I heard Laura scream, flapping wings and fire crackling. I ran towards the noise, fearing what was happening. But my nightmare became true. Laura was being attacked by the Phoenix!

"NOOOO!!!" I yelled angrily. With an outraged cry I landed on the Phoenix's back. Which gave Laura just enough time to run away. The burns scalded me and it hurt a lot, believe me. But they healed as quickly as they came. Of all the dangerous and crazy things I've done, this event takes the cake! The phoenix wasn't happy about this situation however.

_"HOW DARE YOU MORTAL RIDE ON MY BACK!!!"_ It bawled. _"GET OFF, I SAY!!! GET OFF MY BACK!!!"_ The magical beast bucked like a horse at the rodeo. It was tough hanging on, but I made it eventually and managed to pluck out a burning feather.

Immediately I was thrown off the Phoenix's back onto the ledge that Laura was on. The Phoenix began to radiate brightly like the sun, becoming more human like in appearance. I had to close my eyes from the shining light because it was so bright. In a flash of light, the Fire Guardian stood. Laura and I both looked awed.

"Wow," Laura whispered to me, "She looks so beautiful." I agreed.

The Fire Guardian was no longer the Phoenix; she looked like a teenage girl with flaming red hair, artic blue eyes and a friendly face. Her hair was _literally_ flaming, made of fire as it flared. Her eyes were like ice, a sparkling azure colour. Long red robes were worn, covering her body. She was holding a scroll in her delicate hands.

_"I am Vestra, the Fire Guardian. Since you had officially defeated me and I lost my Guardian powers, I have no choice but to give you some useful items to help you on your quest. Take them."_

__

A sword and a box of powder materialized on her hand. With trembling hands I took the sword and Laura took the powder. The handle of the silvery blade felt burning hot against my hand. A streak of fire ran across the hilt, I felt more powerful.

"But how do we know when to use these items?" asked Laura.

_"You and Jay will know when the time comes… I wish you good luck on your journey and I have an urgent warning for you two: Beware of the Shadow Guardian, for evil comes in many different forms!"_ sang Vestra mysteriously in her ethereal voice as she was consumed by a pillar of purple flames…

_What did Vestra mean by the warning? Will Jay and Laura figure it out? Do they stand a chance against the Water Guardian? These questions will be answered next time in Water's Wrath!_


	5. Water's Wrath

**Cry Of The Carniave**

**Water's Whirlpool**

I woke up to a beautiful day, underneath a warm dry shelter. Freckles happily grazed beside me as Jay snored loudly. Jay _still_ hasn't woken up! He rolled over sluggishly, revealing his new, neatly sewn emerald cloak. _What a sleeper!_ It was now midday and everything was freshly covered in the snow. I yawned. _After all those adventures, I deserved a nice hot bath! But where to find one?_ All I could find was a frozen lake. Hardly any warmth in that lake, that's for sure.

Just then, I saw a hot spring nearby; steam was rising from the natural bath as the water was heated up. Bubbles were rapidly popping on the surface of the water. _That hot spring is perfect for my bath! But, a hot spring in winter?_ I frowned, _surely that wasn't right?_ My doubts were shoved away. I started to head towards the springs, unaware of the dangers...

The steaming water felt warm against my skin as I undressed, taking off the frock I was accustomed to wearing. After I unbuttoned my green frock, I stepped into the bubbling water. There was a tree with hanging branches over me. _Aaah... This is so relaxing. _I thought as I leaned against the rocks.

Two hours later I was _still_ relaxing when something terrifying happened! At first I didn't notice it because I was bathing, but then the water began to swirl in tighter circles as if it was being sucked down the plughole. There was the sound of water gurgling down the drain. I was terrified. _What on Earth was happening? _I panicked as I started to climb out of the spring hurriedly. But before I could get out, a huge hole had appeared in the spring and water rushed into it! I fought against the current, but it was too strong, pushing me into the hole...

The jagged hole became a slippery chute. Absolute darkness surrounded me, causing me to be claustrophobic as I slid. I felt fear of what awaited me at the bottom. _What if there were rats in there?_ Suddenly I landed in freezing cold water! "Wo-_aah!"_ I screamed as I hit the water with a gigantic splash. Gasping for air, I headed for the nearest rock. "_Sssss..."_ As I clambered onto the stone grey rock, something hissed behind me. What was that? I turned around to face it. Was it a dangerous animal? Was it a fish? What I didn't expect to find behind me was a ten metre long greenish-blue Sea Serpent!

"AAAHHH!" I screamed with fright when I saw the slimy scales and razor sharp fangs. Cold merciless eyes stared at me as I noticed that the snake like creature had fish fins. A fish tail trashed the water powerfully as I trembled. I was certain the snake was going to devour me whole, unless Jay rescued me from that terrifying thing!

"Jay, HELP!" I screamed. The Sea Serpent moved closer, opened its fanged filled mouth- and a pleasant melodic voice flowed out like music.

"_Don't be afraid,"_ hissed the Sea Serpent,_ "I am Aquaria, the Water Guardian. I mistook you for a thief and I am sorry for scaring you. I guard the Whirlpool of Waetyn and anyone who touches it faces immediate death. But seeing as you are an innocent girl, I shall spare your life."_

"YAAAAAAAHHHHH!" shouted a fierce familiar voice.

"_Who made that sound?"_ Aquaria wondered, as the noise grew louder.

Much to our surprise, Jay appeared! He shot out of the chute.

Water was spewing behind him like the tail of a comet. He landed on his bum; his green cloak was wet and drooped.

"Ouch!" he yelled as he rubbed his bum. "Sliding sure hurts!"

"Jay!" I yelled, "How did you know I was here all along? I was taking a bath and then I was in this place with this Sea Serpent!"

"I heard you calling for help when I passed by the Springs of Syearin. I was looking for you and I found your clothes. I noticed that there was a hole in the middle of the stream, so I slid down the chute!"

"That's a relief, I was _wondering_ when you will come!" I laughed.

Jay stared in horror at Aquaria's monstrous form.

"Stay back, Laura! This is a dangerous Sea Serpent!" he cried.

"No, Jay! You don't understand! This is the Water-" But before I could say anything, he leapt at Aquaria and electricity hit the Sea Serpent. Electricity hit the Sea Serpent as it lashed out in pain. The water level rose alarmingly as the snake's eyes burned a bright blue. I was shocked as the water formed waves of destruction. I was an immortal, but even I could not escape drowning in water!

"_How dare you attack a Guardian! For this, you will be swept away! Witness the power of the Water Guardian!"_

"Now look what you have done, Jay! We are going to drown!" yelled Laura angrily at me. I cringed. _But all I did was rescue her from the Sea Serpent!_ _Now we are in hot water!_ I knew that to defeat Aquaria, there was a certain Sea Serpent scale I needed... But _what _sort of scale? Master Glen didn't say! Just then I saw a gleam of green on Aquaria's belly as she reared up to her full height. Laura was very panicked as she clutched the rock.

"JAY!" Laura yelled as Aquaria released tidal torrents from her fanged mouth. We dived underwater before Aquaria could launch another attack.

In the black silent water, everything was calm. Clear bubbles danced across our eyes as we swam side by side. Jay started to swim upwards towards Aquaria's form. I did too, curious about what he was going to do. A single emerald scale shone. Jay grabbed the scale and tried to tug it. He couldn't, so I helped too. After about five minutes, we almost got it out when... Aquaria's entire form turned into solid ice! I let go of the scale, but Jay, to my horror, turned into an ice statue! _NO! This can't be! Aquaria turned him into ice!_ I struggled to get the now frozen Jay up to the surface.

I spluttered some of the water out as Aquaria hissed a warning.


	6. Ice's Illusion

**Cry Of The Carniave**

**Ice's Elusive Illusion**

_A magnificent furry body stirred below the sub arctic zone of the undisturbed cave. Opening its amber eyes the creature yawned lazily, showing long pearly fangs inside its reddish jaws._

_For hundreds of years this monster had laid dormant, defending a gigantic crystal that shone with radiance so bright, it rivalled the sun itself. The crystal's polished surface glinted with a dazzling effect, much like a diamond. Thousands of explorers had searched for this priceless gem, only to realize at the last moment that they were prey for the beast. The creature's paws were lined with razor-sharp claws, perfect for ripping apart prey. Silver armour covered its back, enclosing the main weakness of the beast. A pair of nocturnal eyes glared out of the darkness... _

Jay tiptoed across the frozen ice, careful not to fall into any of the thawed holes in the floor. Jay didn't seem to be disturbed by the cold as he used a fire torch. I shivered hard, rubbing my arms as we trekked across the barren snow. _I wish I had brought my cloak!_ It was freezing in the Crystal Cave; a chilling wind kept blowing out of the entrance. _My frock definitely won't help me in this situation!_ I thought. _If we waited any longer, we could get frostbite from the cold!_ Icicles hung down like icy daggers from the ceiling, threatening to crash down on us at any moment. _Why on Earth did we come here?_ I wondered, _I would have much rather stayed at the camp!_

"Jay, w-why ar-ar-are w-w-we here?" I chattered, rubbing myself for warmth. Jay was observing Master Glen's message, searching for a clue in the mysterious poem. "We have to retrieve the Ice Guardian's armour," replied Jay, his green cloak billowing in the icy air. As Jay spoke, a white mist rose from the depths of the cave. I watched the smoke curiously. Jay nodded as he squeezed my hand tightly.

"This is the correct place Laura," he said. "Stand here while I repeat the poem." I did what I was instructed to do. Jay began to recite the poem…

_"Fire, Water, Ice, Air,_

_Show thee what is hidden there…"_

Suddenly I saw eyes in the darkness. Glowing eyes. Something in the darkness hissed. Just then I heard a loud noise; something was scraping across the icy floor. I tugged at Jay's cloak nervously. Something was out to get us…

"Jay!" I shouted urgently. Jay looked up to see the frightening eyes. A huge furry body emerged from the darkness. It bared its fangs as it cracked the ice beneath its feet! It let out a mighty roar, its claws swiping at us.

Jay and I started to run really fast as the beast chased us.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH! It's the ICE GUARDIAN!" Jay cried. I fell to the ground, tripping over a widening crack in the ice. The beast lunged at me, its jaws widening… But Jay took out some of the fire powder and threw it in the Ice Guardian's eyes. Some of the powder landed on the ice and melted it, creating a large hole in the frosted ice.__

_"RRAUGH! I can't see!"_ roared the Guardian as the powder started to crackle and burn its eyes. It fell into the hole, water splashing out.

I held on to a white iceberg as Jay helped me up onto land.

"Jay, how did you-" I began to say. Jay winked slyly, his azure eyes sparkling like sapphires.

"The element of ice is weak against fire," he replied "That's why I threw the powder at it." I was sopping wet and cold, water dripped from my frock.

Suddenly the Ice Guardian appeared from the water. It dove underwater, revealing that it now had webbed feet. My jaw dropped.

"You're kidding. It can _swim?_" I gasped at Jay. Jay nodded briefly.

"Yes, it can. Since Ice is a dual element, it also has the properties of water."

"Which means…" I said; I was extremely puzzled by what he said.

"We have to attack the Ice Guardian when it least expects it." Jay said as he withdrew his elaborately decorated sword from its golden sheath. He also took out some items I couldn't identify.

"What are they?" I asked Jay.

"They are the items I received from Leo Naern years ago before I met you," explained Jay. "I had a feeling they might help me with my job. But as it turned out, they will help us with our quest."

Jay crept quietly to the waterhole with Master Glen's gadgets as I watched. One of them looked like a compass, the silver pencil glinting in the light. Jay drew a large circle with the compass, stood back and he cried: "_Pyro Demen!_" Immediately, a fiery circle surrounded the hole and the water started to bubble like it was boiling. The Ice Guardian leapt out, roaring with pain. While the burns distracted it, Jay quickly ripped the silver armour off the otter like beast.

"Got you!" he yelled at the Ice Guardian.

The Ice Guardian hissed at him as it glowed a crystalline white. The beast continued to shine as it reformed, growing taller and more human with every minute. The shaggy fur receded, leaving pale white skin. Claws became nimble delicate fingers. The true Guardian stood before us. She was a young female, wearing a white furry gown. She had white short hair and serene azure eyes. Snowflakes drifted around her and an aura of coldness extruded from her body. We shivered as the cold affected us.

_"I am Freezia, the Ice Guardian. I protect the crystal of Illusion from ignorant mortals. Who has called for me?_


	7. Sun's Shine

**Cry of the Carniave**

****

**Sun Shows The Way**

The stranger leered, her glossy black hair done in two mini buns. She was wearing a gold Oriental dress with long white sleeves, long pink trailing ribbons decorated her hair. Her piercing, eerie eyes were the same colour of her clothes. I stared at her. Who was she? I wondered. What did she want? I opened my mouth to say something, but before we could say anything, the girl moved impossibly fast! She was a blur of gold and white as she moved around. She finally ended up next to Jay. Jay had a look of recognition on his face. He looked shocked, staring at the girl in disbelief.

"Shadith," he whispered softly, "is it you?"

The Chinese girl laughed, sounding very amused at his statement.

I was quite confused. Jay never mentioned about her before! _What was going on._

"Of course it's me, Jay! Don't you remember me? Your partner from the old days?" Shadith teased. She traced a line down Jay's cloak as she grinned. Jay looked furious as she did it, angrily tossing his green cloak.

"Shadith, you little…" Jay began to say, but when he saw me watching, his voice trailed off… "I meant, you little, um… Err…" he mumbled. Shadith watched, eagerly expecting an answer. I broke the silence.

"Hey, what's going on here? Are you saying that you and Shadith are-" I yelled at Jay accusingly. Jay immediately looked horrified. Shadith just looked really disturbed.

"No, it's not that! Shadith and I were just old-" Jay protested.

"-Boyfriend and girlfriend." I yelled at him.

"Are you telling me you were toying with me all along? That you were treating me like some kind of-" I continued scornfully, starting to feel angry and betrayed.

Suddenly Shadith yelled, her voice barely audible over our fierce quarrel:

"It's all a misunderstanding! Jay and I are just old friends after all!" The pin dropped. All was silent. I blushed at Jay. Shadith just stared.

"Jay, I'm really-" I apologized, but Jay beat me to it.

"Me too," responded Jay. We stared deep into each other's eyes for a moment, but then he looked away, looking at Shadith.

"Laura, do you mind if Shadith and I talked privately?" Jay quietly asked me. I wondered what he had in mind for Shadith.

"Sure, I'll be going for a walk." I replied back as I walked away, leaving them alone…

_I turned to Shadith. I still couldn't believe my eyes; Shadith was still alive after all those years! What makes her think I'll forgive her now? I thought angrily._

_ She had no right to barge into my life again! Not after I had just found Laura!_

_"So you know," I said bitterly, "I still hadn't forgiven you." Shadith looked sorrowful and guilty, but I wasn't fooled with her tricks. I pushed her roughly away, avoiding her golden eyes._

_"The relationship isn't about you anymore Shadith! It is for Laura, and her only! You betrayed my trust!" Shadith's eyes seemed to glisten with tears._

_"I really thought you had forgiven me after last time, Jay." she said quietly, putting her slender hand in mine… A flood of memories came back to me, becoming a blur of painful emotions and images._

_Six years ago…_

_Shadith and I were partners in crime, stealing things and making profits from them. Our boss sold the things we stole and in return, he paid us our income. Ah yes, it was a good life, I could ask for no other life. What more was there after working for that cruel blacksmith? He had treated me like a servant, ordering me around the house while he read the newspaper! If I wasn't quick enough, he slapped me on the face and called me an idiot. Anyway, that was in the past now._

_I had a real liking for Shadith, that strange mysterious girl who disappeared after dark for some unknown reason. But I had always wondered where she went after dark. I decided to find out for myself. I transformed myself into the Carniave after sunset and followed Shadith by flight. She went into Glade forest as I ducked underneath a tree. I had to be careful not to let her see me. The full moon shone on her... At that moment I blacked out... The next morning I found her trying to revive me and I realized she discovered my Carniave secret! I could never forgive her for that…_

With a sickening feeling, I was brought back to reality. Shadith smiled friendly. "Jay, let's forget about the past ok? What's done is done." She changed the topic to general things. Even though I was still angry at her, my anger evaporated.

"So, what have you been doing since six years ago?" asked Shadith.

"Nothing much, I had been a thief until three years ago. Then I quitted my job and met Laura. Now we are searching for a cure for my curse." I replied. I then went on to name all of our adventures. Shadith seemed interested, actually listening as I described my adventures with Laura. When I had finished my recount, Shadith had a question for me.

"Can I join you on your quest?" Shadith eagerly asked. I shrugged.

"I guess we could use another person…" I said hesitantly.

"Great!" exclaimed Shadith, striking a victory pose. At that moment Laura came back from her walk…

I was completely refreshed from my forest walk, the air felt fresh against my face, blowing my curly hair. I stopped when I saw Shadith making a V shape with her fingers. Jay was talking to her.

"Hello Laura! Shadith had just decided to join our group!" Jay said.

"Really? That's great!" I laughed. "We should celebrate by going to a inn! So where do we go for our celebration?"

"Does _Tai Yong Sarlod _sound ok?" asked Shadith shyly. Jay and I looked blank when she suggested it.

"Where is _that?_ I never heard of this place before!_"_ Jay said, scratching his hooded head in puzzlement.

"Oops! I meant Sunny Salad! I was so used to my Cantonese accent, I forgot you guys weren't used to it! It's the next town, not very far from here. It is famous, partly because of the Sun Guardian! Plus it has excellent salad inns." She blushed.

"Wow! That's brilliant Shadith! We can always have a party after we defeat the Sun Guardian!" I said cheerfully. I urged on Freckles, reins gathered in my hands. "Giddy up Freckles, let's go on to Sunny Salad!"

A couple of kilometres later, we arrived at Sunny Salad. A gold sign decked the entrance of the quiet village: _Welcome to Sunny Salad, home to many of the best inns in England! See the spectacular Saunlite Solarium!_

"Solarium?" Laura asked, "Isn't that the thing we are looking for? The Sun Guardian's secret place?" I scanned through the clues, but the puzzling poem didn't give even the _slightest_ hint about the solarium.

"Maybe…" I shrugged. "Glen didn't exactly say _what_ it was though. It could be a inn for all we know." Shadith looked thoughtful.

"By some strange coincidence, I _do_ happen to know a lot about the Sun Guardian," said Shadith. Laura and I turned around in surprise.

"Really? Where did you get this information?" Laura exclaimed. I was doubtful, since Shadith had betrayed me once.

"Oh, I just heard it from a friend that's all… She's from around here." Shadith added hastily. Something about her voice didn't sound right.

_Was she actually hiding something from us? _I wondered. Laura believed her though, so I went along with Shadith. _Just in case she's telling the truth._

The solarium was very bright and airy, not only that, the entire structure was as huge as a house! Streams of abundant sunlight beamed through the open windows illuminating the entire room. Lots of plants decorated the room, giving the room a pleasant atmosphere.

"That's amazing!" I whispered, appreciating the silent solitude. I suddenly wanted to sit down and enjoy the scenery. Shadith smiled.

"Yes it is, isn't it?" she replied softly. "Underneath this room is a secret passage which leads to the Sun Guardian's realm. And only _I_ know the entrance is right here." Jay's jaw dropped to the ground, his mouth hanging open (not literally)

"WHAT? You know the way to the Sun Guardian? Show us then!" Jay growled; his eyes narrowed into slits. Shadith shrugged.

"Ok. If you _really_ want me to, then… Follow me." Jay scowled, but he reluctantly trailed behind her. "Stupid, low life girl." He muttered.

"Jay, be polite ok? I know she's new, but you don't have to take your anger out on her like that." I whispered to him.

"You just don't know what Shadith and I had been through…"

Shadith stopped in front of a locked door of iron. The door was two metres high and it was locked. I wondered why no one had noticed it when they visited the Solarium. Anyone could have opened it.

"This is a magical lock, no one can open it… Unless they used a special spell. _Heli Seluim._" explained Shadith in a factual voice. She unlocked the steel door. To our amazement, the door swung open, revealing…

"An empty vault?" cried Laura in surprise. I was shocked too; I didn't expect that this was the entrance at all! It looked more like a huge vault people often used at the bank.

"Relax, all you have to do is step into the teleporter. It will transport us to the Sun Guardian's realm." reassured Shadith. Any trust I had for Shadith immediately dissipated into stubbornness.

"No way." I stood my ground, refusing to step into the mausoleum at all.

"Why _not?_" sneered Shadith, "Are you actually _afraid_ of the teleporter?"

"You had betrayed me once, how do I know if you won't do it _again?_"

I asked her suspiciously. I was really losing my temper with her teasing.

"I promise you one thing: If you do this for me then I will not tell Laura,"

Shadith shot back. I considered her promise carefully. Laura looked really confused about our conversation.

"What are you and Shadith talking about?" Laura asked.

"Never mind," Shadith added quickly. Before I could reply, Shadith pushed Laura and me into the vault.

A few seconds later, we were no longer in the teleporter. Instead Jay, Shadith and I were in a brilliantly bright room surrounded by torches that burned with different colours. The Sun Guardian was sitting on a dazzlingly white throne, his long golden hair cascading down his neck. Sleeveless white robes covered his muscular body. A yellow jewel was fixed on his forehead; glinting like it was polished minutes ago. Also, a golden headdress circled his head.

He was strumming a song on his sitar before he noticed us standing there.

_"Ah, visitors of my realm,"_ he murmured. _"Welcome to my radiating realm! I'm Helious, Guardian of Light and Sun. If you have any requests for me, I could arrange some light for the winter crops."_ He was unexpectedly pleasant, friendlier than any of the other Guardians.

"Err- nice to meet you Helious," I said, curtsying to him.

_"Nice to meet you too, mortal."_ Helious said politely.

"Master Glen sent us to collect some items for our quest. Do you have some? And he says he wants _Sun's glory_ too." Jay added respectfully.

_"Sure, I have some items if you want any. Here!"_ Helious tossed us a yellow amulet in a satchel, a box full of pure light and a sun shield. He did it rather carelessly; Shadith and Jay had to catch the items before they smashed to the ground. Helious sighed, a dreamy look on his calm face.

_"Be careful how you use these items, they might help you against the next Guardian. She is guarding one of the strongest elements of all: Shadow._

_ Also, give the box of Sun's Glory to Master Glen as soon as possible. There's no knowing what he'll do when he is angry. Don't open it! He might even turn you into something hideous!"_ said Helious sternly.

"Yes Helious. He already cursed me to turn into a Carniave. That's why we came to get the box. We must go now." Jay bowed.

_"Very well,"_ said Helious, eying Shadith suspiciously. _"You may go now."_

After being teleported back to the Saunlite Solarium…

"Jay… I have to talk to you about something. It's really important and you _must not_ bring Laura with you, whatever you do. Meet me behind the inn after the party all right? Before the moon rises."

"Is this another one of your tricks, Shadith?" I said warily.

"No it isn't! Please, Jay! You _have _to trust me this time!" begged Shadith.

As I waited for Shadith to appear, I noticed that the sun was beginning to set into the horizon. _Sure is a lonely night tonight, _I thought, _I wonder why Shadith wanted to meet in this strange place? Why did she say that she didn't want Laura to come with me? What is her motive?_ About one hour later, I had fully transformed into my Carniave form and the moon was beginning to rise. Shadith appeared in her Oriental clothes.__

_"Ai ren _Jay? Where are you?" Shadith called, I couldn't see her face.

_I'm here Shadith,_ I said, revealing my Carniave form to her. Shadith wasn't even frozen with fear. Instead she smiled devilishly as her golden eyes flared brighter. She chucked evilly. I felt unnerved as she continued to advance on me. Shadith was acting really creepy tonight! _Err… Shadith? You look… different tonight. _

I thought to her. She read my mind as easily as if I had spoken to her.

"So do you Jay," Shadith said, her voice sounding seductive and low.

_"Transella Fusien."_ Immediately I felt myself transforming back into a human. So rapidly did I revert, that I was alarmed at the speed.

"Woah, how did you do that?" I asked her after I recovered.

"Magic. I know a whole lot of it," purred Shadith. She put her hands on my broad shoulders and without warning; she kissed me full on the lips. Pain stung my lips and exploded in my mind as we remained in a lip locked embrace. I wanted to scream, I wanted her to release me. But she wouldn't let go. I felt dizzy and I almost fainted. The torturous kiss seemed to last an eternity to us.

_"Shadith!_ What do you think you are doing?" I cried, ripping myself from her grip. When Shadith spoke, it sounded totally different from her normal soft, gentle voice. It sounded harsh and… Emotionless.

_"Ai ren Jay, there's no time to explain! I have to go somewhere quickly before the moon reaches its peak!"_

"But where are you going Shadith?" I yelled after her. But before I could stop her, Shadith was gone. Vanished like a ghost.

I could hear Jay running after me, but I melted into the shadows before he could get me. That was so close, another moment and he would have found out! A numbing sensation hit my senses as a purplish aura built around me. I embraced the moonlight as it transformed my body into shadow…

****


	8. Shadith's Secret

**Cry Of the Carniave**

****

Shadowy Secrets

Jay, Shadith and I were standing outside the entrance of a humungous castle. It looked haunted and dark. And _evil._ I shuddered involuntarily.

"I can't come in with you Laura and Jay." Shadith said nervously.

Jay looked at her in utter surprise.

"Why not?" asked Jay "It's not if the shadows are going to _hurt_ you!"

"Well… The thing is I'm afraid of the dark!"

"Ok Shadith, you stay outside while Laura and I go inside." Jay said, pointing outside. Shadith nodded numbly. For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes flash. _That's weird, why were her eyes glowing brighter?_

"Come on Laura, let's go inside." Jay beckoned to me. I followed him, leaving Shadith outside.

It was very dark inside the castle. We couldn't even see where we were going! I grasped Laura's hands as we walked silently in the darkness. Just as we were about to give up, I saw a flickering candle set on a table. I ran to the candle and picked it up meticulously. The shadows around me flickered as I held the candle. But just then, one of the shadows began to move! I gasped. _It was a living shadow!_ The shadow changed form, turning into some sort of animal silhouette.

Without warning, the shadow leapt at me, knocking me off my feet.

It was now a panther with golden eyes. The panther snarled, showing long white fangs. Its long silver claws shot out from its front paws, raking my cloak. The pressure of the panther was crushing my lungs. I was frozen with intense terror; I just didn't know what to do. My mind was a big blank. _I-I mustn't give up; I have to do this for Laura… And Shadith._ I thought determinedly.Reaching deep inside my cloak, I drew out a shining yellow amulet. With shaking hands I brought it to the panther's eyes. With a furious roar, the panther started to transform into the Shadow Guardian… But when the Guardian looked up, I uttered a shocked cry. For it was…

"Shadith?! You're the Shadow Guardian?"

Shadith looked almost unrecognisable. She looked like _a demon._ Shadith's fingernails were black and pointed and her face was hardly human. Her face was the colour of wax, looking pale and ghostlike. I wouldn't have recognized her if it weren't for her eyes. I shuddered in disbelief. _Was this Shadith? _I couldn't believe it was she all along. Her eyes were glowing unnaturally like yellow amber. For a moment I was confused, taken aback by this unpleasant surprise.

"Shadith? But… How…" I stammered incoherently, but she interrupted me with narrowed eyes. Her ebony robes were fluttering as she held her black staff vertically.

"It's true." spokethe Shadow Guardian; her very voice was cold, devoid of any emotions. _"My Guardian powers were restored to me when I entered this place. Every night I was forced to transform into my true form, which is what you see right now. I had sworn to Master Glen when my powers were taken to hide my secret from you, including Laura… Until now."_

spokethe Shadow Guardian; her very voice was cold, devoid of any emotions. 

She placed a slender finger to my lips; it felt chillingly cold against my face, leaving it numb where she touched me._ "What's the matter Jay?" _she added snidely, _"Can't you handle the truth?"_

"Shadith, it can't be you…" I said stubbornly, refusing to believe her. The Shadow Guardian snickered a mocking laugh, sounding harsh. _"Don't you see, Jay? Shadith and I are the same…"_

I watched the events unfold before my eyes. Never have I ever suspected Shadith to be the Shadow Guardian. _But why was she so different, so cold? _I wondered_ She wasn't like that last time._ Jay was so shocked he couldn't speak.

The Shadow Guardian, as if she read our minds she said: _"If you want your so-called friend back, you'll have to defeat me but I will be really difficult to subdue. I won't promise you an easy battle!"_ The Shadow Guardian wielded her staff like a weapon. Jay leapt at her and drew out his fire sword quickly. The sword's blade shone.

"Sword of fire, cause dire!" Jay screamed as he swiped the weapon at her. Flames leapt across from the sword to her staff.

"Jay, be careful!" I yelled. I was afraid she would hurt him, but to my relief he wasn't. Unfortunately, the fire passed through the Shadow Guardian and she didn't seem to be affected at all. Jay was tired from the effort, wiping his wet forehead with his long sleeves.

"You have to try better than that!" she sneered.

Next Jay took out the Water Guardian's flute and it thrilled me when I heard it. The flute sang of the beauty of the oceans and rivers, sounding like waves crashing onto rocks. Its echoing notes praised the wonderful creatures of the deep. Never had I heard anything more... Breathtaking. The Shadow Guardian's eyes were glazed over as if she was in a trance, but she regained her emotionless stare after about ten minutes. Jay groaned exhaustedly, grabbing another item from his pocket.

"I thought it would work! Aquaria said it worked against any of the Guardians!" he yelled, "I can't believe it!"

"Well, believe this then!" Without warning the Shadow Guardian raised her staff at Jay. Black magic streamed from the staff like liquid. The blackish substance hit Jay hard; it was so powerful it threw him against the wall. He groaned, struggling to get up, but he collapsed.

"Jay!" I cried as I ran to him. I hugged him tightly, scared that he was hurt. "Are you alright?" I asked him. Jay gave me a weak smile, but the light was fading from his azure eyes. A cut above his eye started to bleed. I tried to dab it but it wouldn't heal quickly. It took too long. A purple bruise appeared on his cheek.

"Laura… I feel weak…" whispered Jay.

"Oh Jay…" I sobbed. I knew that Jay was an immortal, but to see him assaulted like this… It hurt too much to bear.

I saw Laura cry for Jay, normally I would have run to her and comforted her, but I could do nothing because the Shadow Guardian had taken over. My true form. She felt no pity or remorse for what she had done, but I (Shadith) felt sympathy for Laura and her lover. A tugging at my heart continued as Laura wept. I wanted desperately to help her but my other self wouldn't, she refused. It was very frustrating. Suddenly Laura stood up, a fierce expression on her face. She gritted her teeth angrily as she ripped the light amulet from Jay's pocket. _What is she going to do?_ I wondered.

"Shadow Guardian, you had gone too far! Don't you feel any sympathy?"

"Now I have no choice but to destroy you and get my friend back!" Laura said as she let out a war cry. My other self snorted, showing contempt. She laughed out loud. _"What? With that dinky looking charm! Don't be ridiculous!"_

During all this, I had noticed that there was only one element that could defeat the Shadow Guardian: Light. But if there was not enough light, the Guardian would extinguish it. But if there was enough light, it would destroy the Guardian completely!

If I aimed at her, that way I could defeat her. But I have to do it quickly before she has a chance to react. But what if it fails? I stared at Jay; he was slowly deteriorating from his injuries. I would do anything for him and I would save my friend Shadith, even if it cost me my life. Jay would be ok; he would have Shadith to help him overcome my death- if I died that is. I had to take a lethal risk: I will smash that amulet.

As I held the destructive jewel in my hand I could feel the energy pulse in it. It warmed my hand like a torch.

"Shadow Guardian, I will destroy you!" With all my strength, I threw the yellow gem at her, but it hit the ground. There was the sound of shattering glass as the amulet broke. Rays of white light shone from the pieces, lighting the entire room in the process.

"Aaaaahhhh!!! My Guardian powers are gone!"

The Shadow Guardian dropped to her knees in pain, covering her face with her clawed hands. Her staff and crown clattered to the floor as she let go of them. I grabbed the items, which were symbols of her power. They began to glow.

I watched, fascinated as the Guardian transformed. A darkish purple aura surrounded the Guardian, as the long black claws became neat nails. The long hair became buns. The black cloak shimmered once before the colour changed to gold and white robes. The transformation was finished. Shadith was still covering her face with her hands. Slowly she removed them from her face, trembling.

"Jay…" she muttered as she saw the crumpled form next to my side.

"Shadith! Are you ok?" I asked her in a concerned voice.

"Yes," she said.

spokethe Shadow Guardian; her very voice was cold, devoid of any emotions. she sneered. Without warning the Shadow Guardian raised her staff at Jay. Black magic streamed from the staff like liquid. The blackish substance hit Jay hard; it was so powerful it threw him against the wall. He groaned, struggling to get up, but he collapsed. I stared at Jay; he was slowly deteriorating from his injuries. I would do anything for him and I would save my friend Shadith, even if it cost me my life. Jay would be ok; he would have Shadith to help him overcome my death- if I died that is. I had to take a lethal risk: I will smash that amulet. 


	9. Thorian's Thunder

**Stormy Days Ahead **

****

"So this is the last Guardian?" I asked Shadith. She nodded silently. Laura glared at my former partner, still angry at her for injuring me in the last adventure. Laura seemed to be very protective and tense lately.

"Yes, I know who he is… _The Dragon of Daethren._ Otherwise known as Thorian, the Storm Guardian. We haven't seen each other for decades after we argued about who was the greatest Guardian. Of course, Thorian _thinks_ that he has more elemental powers than me, that bighead! I'll show him!" Shadith actually looked scary and I stepped away from her out of fear. Laura also looked afraid. But then Shadith laughed and her facial expression changed into one of amusement. "Did I scare you just then? I was just pulling your leg!" We all laughed, relieved that she hadn't _really_ changed.

"For a moment, you sure scared the hell out of us!" I joked. But Shadith was impatient. "Come on guys, I know the way to Thorian's abode." she said.

As we all entered the cliff face, I nearly fainted. There in front of us, was a real live dragon. The grey dragon was ten metres tall, unfurling gigantic wings and had a jewel studded collar around its neck. It also had a jagged scar on its left eye. As it roared, thunder and lightning shook the cliffs. I felt terrified of the creature. Jay was astounded as he craned his neck up.

"Oh my god," muttered Jay, staring up at the gigantic dragon. "How am I supposed to defeat this thing? Thorian will devour me in a second!"

"You have no choice but to go ahead and fight him…" Shadith said.

"What am I? Jay Lupine the dragon slayer?" said Jay sarcastically.

"I really mean it. If you don't fight, you won't get your Carniave cure!"

"Oh alright, you sneaky Shadith! I'll fight him, but only if I don't end up on a platter!" Jay sighed with disgust as he prepared his shield and sword.

When Laura and I approached the dragon, Thorian sensed our presence. Turning his horned head, he roared with anger. Yellow sparks of electricity shot out of his jagged mouth. I deflected some of the energy with my Sun shield as Laura crouched behind it.

_"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?" _Thorian rumbled. I was very nervous; I had no experience in slaying dragons or talking to one. And here I am, trying to fight a real one! Nevertheless, I tried to put on a brave act.

"Jay Lupine, dragon slayer of Glade Forest, commands you to back off!" Thorian laughed, a deep guttural laugh that boomed.

_"You tell me, the greatest Guardian, to back off? When I could snap your spine into two? I can control all the elemental forces! Hurricanes, storms, floods, earthquakes and fires, all are under my command! You, puny mortal are no match for my unseen powers!"_ The Storm Guardian started to spread his leathery wings. The jewelled collar glistened as the dragon launched himself into the air. Thorian rose into the air as his wings produced a hurricane. He spat out some huge flames, which were heading right for us! I tried to deflect it with my shield, but the shield didn't work as well as I had hoped.

We waited for the final blow; waited to be consumed by fire. But it never came. Instead there was a loud boom, darkness formed and the fire dissipated as if an invisible wall blocked it. I looked behind me. To our complete surprise, Shadith was behind us, an enraged expression on her face. Her palms were outstretched, a dark laser shot out of them and a round shadowy shield formed around us.

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" yelled Shadith at Thorian. "Laura, Jay! Run over to Thorian's nest while I distract him!" she whispered to us. We nodded and ran towards the nest on the cliff.

_"How? But that's IMPOSSIBLE! No mortal has that power! Unless…"_ Thorian bellowed, then his orange eyes widened in realization. _"You are Hadin in disguise! You are the Shadow Guardian in her false form!" _

_"It took you THAT long to figure it out? For such a big head, you sure have a small brain!"_ sneered Shadith/Hadin pitilessly. Black formless discs formed in her hand and she threw it at Thorian, they circled the air before they exploded.

_"Take that back! You are weak, Hadin!"_ roared Thorian.

_"I AM NOT WEAK!"_ yelled Shadith/Hadin. Her gold eyes began glowing a deep demonic red; the colour of fresh blood after it has been spilt…

Meanwhile… Jay and I managed to climb the cliff with difficulty. Grasping onto the final rock, we looked into the nest. There were sparkling jewels of the rainbow in there! Glittering and shining like the stars.

_"Light beyond darkness, _

_Darkness beyond light, _

_I am the Guardian of Night. _

_Shadows of the forbidden wind, _

_Release the power from within! _

_Shadow demons, come to my aid!"_

Shadith/Hadin completed her spell with an evil sneer. At once, she blurred into a red-eyed shadow and evil cackling filled the air. For once Thorian was afraid. The Shadow Guardian laughed harshly, the sound echoing the evil laughter.

_"Wh-what in the man-manner of Daethran is ha-happening?"_ Thorian cried, looking around him in a confused manner. Ghastly giggles surrounded him.

_"You'll see in a moment,"_ reassured Shadith/Hadin.There was a fluttering of wings, then countless shadowy forms with sharp claws and bladed wings descended onto the dragon. They started to slash him, but he was ready for them. Thorian counterattacked with thunder and lightning. The two elements met and cancelled each other out, resulting in a major explosion…

Laura and I saw the demons attack the dragon, but there was crack of electricity and an enormous earthquake, followed by the demons screeching as the energy reacted. I felt scared that our friend, Shadith, would be hurt in the explosion.

Rocks broke off the cliff, tumbling into the darkness. I nearly lost my balance and grasped the cliff wall as Laura gasped.

"Hold on!" Laura yelled, reaching out a hand for me. With a flash of realization, I remembered the nightmare I had… Only it was reversed. _I_ was the one clinging onto the edge and _Laura_ was the one trying to help me. _How ironic._ I thought bitterly. _My nightmare became true, but it was somehow inverted._ My grip slid a bit and a few jewels fell out of the nest. Sweat was beading down my forehead, but still I held on with all my strength.

Suddenly Laura grabbed my hand, pulling me upwards towards her. I heard a crash and saw all the jewels from the nest tumbling down into the darkness.

"Th-thanks," I stuttered, looking into Laura's beautiful eyes. So warm and sad…

"No need for it," Laura teased, getting close to me. "You saved my life tons of times on this quest, so why _shouldn't_ I save your life?" I let out a whoop of happiness and couldn't help myself from kissing her warm lips…

But then an angry familiar voice boomed from the depths of the earth.

_"You have failed by not collecting the jewels in the nest!"_ shouted Master Glen. I fell to my feet. Pain racked my body but as I shifted my form, I felt a foreign but familiar mind try to overtake mine… It was the wild, untamed instincts of my Carniave form- but stronger than ever. I struggled.

I saw Jay drop to his feet. I felt terrified for him, for I knew there was nothing I could do to stop the transformation. I felt so helpless as he cried out.

"No, Jay…_ I love you with all my heart and soul!"_ Immediately the necklace around my neck started burning with a bright light. The necklace felt like it draining my life from my body. Then the light died down as the necklace reformed into a pale pink heart shaped key. Jay became unconscious.

_"What the-?"_ I muttered, then I gasped for my voice was not my own. It sounded calm and serene. It was the voice of… _A guardian!_****


	10. Love is the Key: The Finale

**Love Holds The Key**

Master Glen arrived in a flash of light, his stern face gazing at Jay and me. Suddenly, Hadin and Thorian appeared in their true forms and bowed to him. I noticed that the crown and black staff, which I took from Hadin, was restored to her. Thorian, in his true form, was a heavily muscled man with a jagged scar zigzagging across one of his eyes. They both looked really exhausted from the previous explosion, their wounds healing quickly. Thorian scowled at Hadin, who looked proud. Blood dripped from a long scratch on her face, but it healed.

"What in the world has happened here?" asked Glen, frowning at Hadin.

_"Master Glen-"_ began Hadin, but Thorian interrupted her.

_"- It looks like there's another Guardian among us."_ said Thorian, pointing to me. My mind spun as I tried to comprehend what was happening.

_"I-I don't understand… Am I a Guardian?"_ I asked Glen. His blue eyes lit up like lights as he raised a palm to quiet the two arguing Guardians.

"Let me explain everything to you, Laura." He quietly said…

_"There is a magical dimension called Daethren. When I was eighteen years old, the Daethrians had discovered an inner link to our world that was somehow connected to Earth. Then disaster struck. The eight elements, Fire, Ice, Water, Wind, Light, Shadow, Storm and Soul were released and escaped to Earth." _

_"The entire community discussed the problem and they chose me, Glen Usawai, as the chosen one. It was my duty to create Guardians for the elements before they destroyed Earth. I also had the task of supervising them, in case they caused any mischief." _

_"Now magicians are not undying, they die when their magical power is completely gone. Creating the guardians took a lot of my energy away. Now I had a problem: should I create a Guardian for Soul? So I asked my mentor, Leo Naeran. He advised me that there was no need for creating the last Guardian and I should wait until the Soul Guardian is revealed…" _

_"Unlike any of the other Guardians, the protector of the most powerful element (Soul) would be a mortal but not just any mortal either. He or she would be a special mortal that would arrive in the 'Dark Ages'. So I contained the Soul element into a bead necklace and waited patiently for 400 years. Whoever wore the necklace is officially the Soul Guardian. When I saw you were wearing the necklace, I knew that you are the Guardian of the Soul." _

_"So that is how you were able to save Jay because without your enduring love for him, he surely would have stuck as the Carniave eternally. When the element is activated, it turns into the Raeth key and restores all the seven Guardians into their true forms. Thus, the eight elements are restrained from ever escaping."_

_"Wow,"_ I whispered, feeling the Raeth key around my neck. Then Glen turned to me, his face serious. "Now you understand you are the Soul Guardian and I know you have something to sacrifice for Jay's costly cure. Do you want to surrender beauty, happiness or humanity? Think carefully Laura, for this is the most important decision you'll make. _Everything_ depends on your answer"

_"How much time do we have left till Jay is trapped forever?"_ I asked, looking at Jay's wolfish form, his white wings were limp, he was panting heavily.

"About an hour left." Master Glen replied, "So we must hurry and make your choice soon."

_"Time is running out,"_ added Hadin, her black cloak shifting to form a hood, whereupon she covered her head with it. Her pale face was cloaked with shadows, looking very eerie in contrast to her eyes. She suddenly looked like Death's incarnation, complete with her staff, which looked menacing.

Then I made my decision…

_"I will sacrifice… My Guardian powers. I don't want to be a Guardian anymore, so long as I'm with Jay."_ I answered Glen.

"Then Jay you shall have! For you, Laura, deserves him. I shall remove the curse that has bound him since he was born. _Scuerth Verdeom!_" cried Glen.

Glen's voice became powerful and strong as the Raeth key hovered in the air. There was a flash of blinding light and strong ripping winds blew through the cliffs. Then eight coloured jewels surrounded Jay's Carniave form and I felt like something was being taken from me, something that was always part of myself.

Black mists covered everything. I couldn't see anything at all. Feeling afraid, I groped the darkness. _Where was Jay?_ I thought. Then I felt human hands touch.

"Laura… I-I'm _human._" Jay stuttered. I blushed as we embraced, feeling his chest upon mine. I could see Hadin blinking back tears and sorrow was etched on her face. I was surprised; I thought that this unfeeling Guardian didn't have any emotions. And here she was, crying her heart out for the first time.

"Hadin? What's wrong?" Jay asked the Shadow Guardian softly. Hadin looked up, tears wet on her face.

_"Ai ren Jay…We were never meant for each other because I'm a Guardian and you are a mortal. And I should feel happy for you. But all I feel is sorrow. _

_However, I wish you the best of luck with Laura, and I wish her happiness too. _

_Finally, I have to say farewell forever. Don't forget me, Jay and Laura."_

Hadin melted into the darkness before we could say anything else.

"Hadin, wait!" We cried in unison.

"You're no longer a Guardian Laura, and Jay is no longer an immortal. Thus the balance has been restored and my task is done for now." said Glen.

"But what about our friend, Shadith?" we asked Glen.

"Shadith has gone back to the Shadow realm to guard the Shadow element. She already had her heart broken by Jay, so I think she'll never recover. Shadith is a sensitive soul after all… And the other Guardians had gone back to their places for another quest. It's their duties after all. They were created for guarding."

Jay brought me close, I could feel the tears on his cheeks as he nuzzled me.

"So what do we do now Jay?" I asked. He kissed me briefly on the cheeks.

"Whatever we want, Laura. We have our whole lives ahead of us now…"

**Epilogue: **

"Laura! How was your long journey? Is that Jay from that letter you wrote to me about? He doesn't look that handsome to me…" Mum kept talking as Jay unmounted Freckles. His green cloak fluttered in the wind as he said hello.

"Is that your boyfriend Laura? Oooh, Laura has a boyfriend!" shouted Dave.

"It's a long story, Mum… Stop teasing me Dave!" I yelled at my brother as he continued to pester me. A yellowed letter appeared on the ground and Jay picked it up and read it. I recognised the Chinese handwriting… It was from Shadith!

_Dear Jay and Laura, _

_I'm sorry I had to say goodbye to you two but it was the only way… I have to perform my duties as a Guardian. I will, however, send letters to you and Jay from time to time… It's so lonely here; it's not the same without Jay…Keep me updated about what's happening around the village! I might even visit you! _

_From Shadith the Shadow Guardian. _

"What do you think if we have a little party at your house, Laura?" asked Jay.

"Sure, wait up! Race you!" said Dave. I laughed as I caught up to them. The warm sun made red and pinkish hues as it descended on the horizon. As the sun began to set on our continued lives together, so our story brings a close… Or does it?

The Continuation…


	11. Guardian Quest: The Beginning

**Guardian Quest: The Tower of Tane **

_18th Century England, the Manescu Mansion _

Laura dreamily sighed as she watched her boyfriend, Jay, and her annoying younger brother, Dave; wrestle each other on the wooden floor. Jay treated Dave as if he was his own brother; they had a certain bond with each other.

Dave had Jay's flute (which he got from the Water Guardian, Aquaria) in his hand as he waved it around saying, "I've got your flute, I've got your flute!" But then he squealed as Jay pretended to tickle him.

"Give that back, you pest!" shouted Jay as he grinned mischievously.

"Not until you say sorry!" yelled Dave. Just then, Mrs. Manescu came into the room, with some baked cookies fresh from the oven.

"Break it up you two, playtime's over." She scolded.

"Aw, Mum!" said Dave.

It had been two years since Jay and Laura had done the seven quests for Jay's cure and by now, Laura had grown into a prestigious young lady of sixteen. Being an adolescent meant that there were always new things to learn and say at dances. Laura had her long auburn locks in a bun with a plain country skirt to match. She still kept her Raeth Guardian key around her neck, to remind her of the adventures she and Jay endured and their undying love for each other. She and Jay had renounced doing any more quests and had settled down. But unknown to any of them, a new adventure was about to unfold…

Laura's boyfriend Jay, who was removed of his Carniave curse, had moved near the Glade village and the couple often visited each other. The village people had lost their fear of the 'winged wolf beast' and treated their local legend as a fairy tale. Jay was pleased with that event, seeing that he no longer was remembered since the 'fair incident'. Jay managed to enrol in Laura's private school, posing as a 'new student from Wales'. His brown hair was slightly longer and less untidy; he even got rid of his dark green travelling cloak, appearing in more normal clothing of a shirt and pants.

As for their Shadow Guardian friend, Shadith… Laura sent letters to her and she replied. But lately, Shadith hadn't answered her letters for some reason. And Laura was getting worried about her… Why wasn't she answering to her letters? Had something happened to her or the other Guardians?

Laura peeped outside the front door, wondering what the weather was like.

"Oh!" Laura gave a squeal of surprise, for outside the front door in the pouring rain, was a stray cat. The coal black cat shivered in the raging rain, its supple slim form being ruined by the pouring rain. It had strange markings on its fur and there was something, unnatural about the cat. Like an invisible aura was shielding it. The golden eyes surveyed the surroundings of the mansion as though it was suspicious. It mewed pitifully and Laura felt sympathy for the creature. "You poor thing," she said to the stray cat. It seemed the cat understood her words, but that was impossible... Wasn't it?

Dave was delighted with the cat, cuddling it and petting it. The cat reacted by purring very loudly. It seemed to be pleased.

"Mum, can we keep it? Can we? Can we?" pestered Dave as he held the purring cat. Laura's mum however, was not happy with the animal.

"A cat! We can't have a cat! Besides, I'm allergic to cats!" cried Mrs. Manescu, who was starting to sneeze and blow her nose REALLY loudly with her laced white handkerchief.

"How about we keep it in Laura's room, so that you don't have allergies?" suggested Dave.

"Ok, as long as Laura looks after that cat properly. I'm not going to be responsible if it misbehaves," muttered Mrs. Manescu, sniffling her nose out of the large room.

"But we have to find a name for the poor thing…" said Laura, stroking the cat. Jay thought for quite a while.

"How about Tiddles?" he suggested rather unimaginatively. Dave and Laura laughed until they rolled on the floor. "Um… Whiskers? Tom?" Jay continued. Then he threw up his arms in despair. "I'm no good at thinking at names!" Dave joined in the 'Naming Game' and practically jumped up with excitement when he thought of a name. "I got a good name for it… Frisky!" The cat was very provoked by the name, protesting with a yowl of disdain. Laura had a go.

"Let's see, how about names that go with its black fur? 'Shadow' or 'Night'? Oooh, look at the strange marks on the fur… One of the symbols looks like an eye or something. Eye, Orb…"

"That's it! Let's call it Night Eye!" yelled Dave.

"Fine by me," agreed Jay (who didn't care what they called the cat).

"That's perfect! Night Eye it is," proclaimed Laura.

A few days passed and Laura was beginning to like Night Eye. Night often crept up onto the bed and purred. But Night didn't behave like an ordinary cat would. Night loved the dark; it embraced the shadows of the room, sitting in them for hours on end. Night refused to eat the tuna that was served to it. Night meowed persistently when night came, wanting to be let out. In fact, you could even say that she had an instinctive feeling that Night wanted her to follow it. She didn't know how she knew, she just knew. Jay often wondered where the unusual cat came from, but as far as he knew, Night Eye's past was just a mystery. But he stated that the cat was somehow familiar to him…

One clear night, as if Laura was in a deep trance, she followed Night Eye through Glade Forest, unaware of her surroundings. Dave happened to wake up at that moment and thinking something strange was happening, he also followed his sister through the dark forest. He ducked beneath a rock as he saw a remarkable thing happen… The pale moon shone on the charcoal black cat as it transformed… Laura snapped out of her trance to find herself looking at the face of Hadin, the Shadow Guardian.

This Guardian was virtually the opposite of Shadith, who was her other self. A crown adorned Hadin's head; she had long sharp claws and wore a night black cloak with a winged black staff to match. The serious, often cruel Guardian looked down on the girl, her figure gleaming with a blackish light. Dave gasped at the evil looking lady. His sister was in danger!

"Whaa-? Hadin! What are you doing here?" asked Laura, suddenly aware of being in the forest. Hadin's amber eyes flickered for a moment before she explained to Laura why she was sent.

_"I was sent by the other Guardians for we need your help desperately. You see… Long time rival, Tane of Tsand, has imprisoned Glen Usawaii. He has tricked all of us into thinking that Glen was killed and wants us Guardians to accept him as our new Master. But we all refused to serve him, now Tane has authority over us. He imprisoned all of us, including Glen in his tower. Since I, of all the Guardians, have the power to change my form, I was sent to tell you what happened. I turned myself into a cat to slip through the bars. And as the eighth Guardian, you and Jay have the responsibility to rescue us. Help us, please!" _

Laura was shocked to see tears on the face of Hadin, obliviously, she was still bitter from last time when Jay chose Laura over her. (Note: Refer to the conclusion of 'Cry of the Carniave') Dave gasped, amazed by the sight. The evil lady was crying! Hadin continued with her long breath speech.

_"Master Glen told me that you can use your Raeth Key around your neck to unlock certain abilities, but he gave me permission (before he was imprisoned by Tane) to activate it for you. Give me your Raeth Key." _Laura unclasped the Key from her neck and gave it to the Guardian, uncertain about what was going to happen next. Dave was excited and scared for his older sister. What was going to happen next?

"Umm… Here, Hadin." The Raeth Key glowed with an inner light as Laura gave it to Hadin. The heart shaped key began to levitate in mid air as Hadin began an incantation with her eyes closed. She began concentrating. A flash of bright light and Laura felt something coming back to her as the Key formed itself into a largish heart shaped staff that shone, alight with the glow of pink magic.

_"Oh Key of Raeth, _

_Unlock the undying heart, _

_And give Laura back her part, _

_Release the powers within! _

_Raeth Key!" _

Hadin's eyes suddenly turned blood red and Laura felt a jolt of pure energy flowing through her body like a river. It didn't hurt, though she felt a tingling sensation. A white light consumed her body and then faded. Hadin's eyes faded back to their normal gold colour._ "It is done. You now have the ability to use your Raeth staff whenever you want."_ Laura was still dazed, but she thanked the regal Guardian anyway.

"Thanks Hadin, for the renewal of my Guardian powers." said Laura politely. Hadin's pale cheeks went all red with embarrassment.

Meanwhile Dave was about to run back to the Manescu mansion without his sister knowing, but he accidentally tripped on a stone. Hearing the noise, Laura turned her head in Dave's direction and gasped in horror. "DAVE! WHY ARE YOU IN GLADE FOREST AT NIGHT! Did you find out our secrets?"

"I… Uh… Er…" stuttered Dave, looking down at his shoes in shame.

_"Who is that boy?"_ asked Hadin as Dave started to tremble in fear of the dark Guardian. Laura noticed Dave's reaction to her and said in defence of him:

"He's my brother and don't you hurt him!" shouted Laura. Hadin snickered as the moon became covered by the clouds...


	12. Chadron Comeths

**Cry Of The Carniave**

**Chadron Comeths**

Jay, Shadith and Laura decided to begin their new quest in Glade Village.

"What shall we do?" asked Jay. "I wish we knew where to start our new journey before we even began this quest!"

"How about we all start over from last time?" said Laura.

"No! Let's go a different direction!" argued Shadith. A male voice interrupted the argument before it could go further.

"Going somewhere, Jay?" A friendly teenage boy face smiled from the shop window, shuffling a deck of cards. Suddenly a brutish man with a greasy moustache (the former ring toss keeper at the fair) yelled at him loudly. "But I was just-!" Chadron protested. But the man interrupted.

"No, no, NO! Absolutely NO cards in my shop! GET OUT!" Chadron was literally kicked out of the shop by the shopkeeper.

"The nerves of that bully!" muttered Chadron to himself.

"Hello Chad! Laura and Shadith, this is my good friend, Chadron. He's very experienced in magical cards and knows a lot. Chadron, meet Laura and Shadith… They are friends of mine. We are just about to go on a mission to save some magical Guardians… Care to join us?" Jay introduced. Chadron was about sixteen to seventeen years old, had short ruffled black curls, grey eyes and a saffron coloured cloak. He was always eager for adventure and was very popular with the girls with his well-known jovial friendliness and humour.

"Hello, girls… Nice to meet you! Jay told me a lot about you two… Yes Jay, I'll accept your offer to join your friends on your journey! Want to see a magical card trick? I use a special deck of cards, which has real magic in them. The ancient cards were passed down from my father…" said Chadron with a gentle grin as he continued to talk to Shadith and Laura.

At Tane's Tower, in the dungeons…

"I'm so bored!" groaned Vestra, her flaming hair gleaming a rusty red. "I hope Hadin has told Jay and Laura of our current condition!" The fierce winged Fire Guardian slumped in her prison along with the other six elemental Guardians.

"Yeah," agreed Zephyran, Guardian of Wind. "I wish that she would hurry up though." Thorian, the sulking Storm Guardian raged.

"Could we dig our way out of here?" suggested Aquaria, the dark-blue haired nymph-like Water Guardian as she proposed a solution. The Sun/Light Guardian, Helious, shook his head solemnly.

"No chance, there seems to be a magical force field around this prison. There's no way we can get out of here without our powers… And Tane seems to have absorbed Master's power as well." said sensible Helious, his golden hair shining dimly amongst the darkness.

A whoosh of wind signified Tane's entrance and the dark sorcerer stood outside the force fields. Tane looked like an adolescent despite his age, save for the chain necklace and dark red medieval wizard costume. The secretive sorcerer had desolate silvery eyes, thin wire spectacles, a frowning face and long glossy black hair, which he combed at least ten times a day. He was also arrogant, egotistical and narcissistic.

Back in the old days when Glen and Tane were in Daethren, Tane was one of Leo Naern's students who came top in every exam. He was quite nice, but a bit shy when it came to making friends. Master Glen never really liked him, but they still remained friends despite that. But one day, Tane was encouraged to meddle in the 'Dark Arts'. He became utterly consumed and ever since then, Tane had changed from a pleasant person to one that only wished to see the world's destruction. Master Glen and Tane had an argument after the incident, now all Master Tane Tsand desired was to seek revenge on Glen Usawaii and his Guardians.

Master Glen rattled the bars on his prison, his cerulean eyes glaring fiercely at his long time rival. Tane smirked at Glen, his conceited eyes surveying him.

"Tane Tsand, rival of mine! Your insane plan will never work. What will happen when all the Daethren elements are released? What about all the innocent people you'll destroy? Don't you remember when you used to care?"

Tane was unresponsive at his former friend's statement. He sighed nostalgically.

"There's only one way to find out what will happen, Glen Usawaii. My son _will_ come and when he does, I'll make sure he destroys _you_ first. I can see in my mind's eye that your rescuers are coming in this direction, so I'll simply create an obstacle course for them- of Fire and Wind." Tane spoke sharply as he stared out the window. He made a swift but silent gesture in the air. Suddenly, there was a sizzle and a whoosh, then spitting flames and howling hurricanes spread and began to combine together into one humungous firestorm, which was headed for the far away town of Glade Village…

"What's going on?" yelled Laura, looking up at the ominous darkening sky. Suddenly, blasts of fire began to stream from the clouds, thunder roared and the wind began to become stronger with every gale…

"It's the Daethren elements! When the elements are not guarded, they can cause chaos! And if they are not stopped, who knows what will happen!" explained Shadith. "Right now, Fire and Wind seem to be released! Soon the elements will spread through the entire country, unless we halt the firestorm's progress!"

"Now you tell us?" Chadron yelled, clutching his deck of cards as the wind began to howl even more viciously and burning fire began to hail from the sky. Jay, Shadith, Chadron and Laura watched in horror as the flames fell around them. People started to gasp and scream at the unnatural phenomenon as they started to run indoors. The Glade Forest was set alight with small sparks of flames, the powerful winds starting to blow the flames towards the small town.

"Oh no! Glade Forest is burning!" cried Laura.

"There's no way to stop the fire! In a few minutes, it'll totally destroy our village!" said Jay as he tried to think of something to stop the fire's progress. Unexpectedly, Chadron's quick mind had thought of a full-blown plan.

"Wait! I've thought of something!" Chadron gritted his teeth as he drew out a random magical card from his deck. He placed the chosen card face up on the dirt ground hurriedly. "I call on the _Freeze Card!"_ he screamed, at once an energy beam of ice exploded vertically out of the card into the clouds with a powerful force.

Jay, Shadith and Laura were all taken aback as they watched the ice beam grow thicker and higher with each passing second. Gradually the falling fire melted the column of ice quickly, which eventually poured down as rain. The precipitation teemed down on the forest fire, reducing the blazes into mere flickers before they were extinguished altogether. The falling fire was quenched as well and the wind stopped howling. Then there was silence, glorious silence.

The trio was totally amazed at Chadron's strategy, their mouths gaping in shock at the new arrival. Chadron grinned broadly at the three.

"Did you see that? Chadron just saved Glade Forest!" gasped Jay.

"That was amazing, Chad! How did you do that?" Shadith asked.

"Well, it wouldn't be a secret if I _told_ you, would it?" Chadron winked at her. Shadith seemed to be surprised by his actions.

"I guess not…" mused Shadith.

"Come Chad, welcome to our team!" smiled Jay.

**Author's Notes: **_So, a new team member comes and arrives! But is Chadron really who he says he is! Find out in the next chapter:-D_


End file.
